XIII Pokemon
by PKAquaFlame
Summary: The Organization is back...as Pokemon! Follow Axel and Lyra as they find each PokeMember and fight the Gyms of Johto! HGSS-verse, with slight references to the anime.
1. Reverse Rebirth: Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Okay, so I was playing HeartGold and a friend was playing Birth By Sleep. So I thought, "What kinds of Pokemon would the Organization members be?" And this popped up.

On with the fic!

* * *

_Who am I again...?_

_...Oh yeah. I'm Axel. Number VIII. The Flurry of Dancing Flames. _

_That doesn't answer where I am or how I got here..._

_I did disappear after helping Sora with finding Kairi. I opened the portal and defeated all of the Nobodies in Betwixt and Between. And then that weird voice...What did it mean when it said we would all become anew? Are the other Nobodies in this same situation, too?  
_

_I'm floating in this warm place. It's confining, but comfortable. Now that I think of it, I think I've been in this place for a while, and this is the first time I've noticed it.  
_

_**"Hey, I think it's about to hatch! Professor Elm, come over here, NOW!"**_

_...Hatch? What the hell? _

**_"Finally! I was beginning to think that Egg would never hatch!"  
_**

_I can see a shadow surrounding me. Is it a Heartless? It can't be...Heartless can't talk. Anyway, it looks like it's watching something in anticipation.  
_

_Watching...Me?_

_Am I in an egg? What's going on?_

_

* * *

_Professor Elm beamed at the twitching Egg. He had been looking forward to this, ever since he found the strange egg just sitting there in his lab. That was a few weeks ago, and now it was finally starting to hatch!

Soon enough, the Egg started to crack ever so slightly. It started to shake uncontrollably until it fell off of the desk and onto the floor. The eggshell broke completely, revealing...

A Cyndaquil?

Elm picked up the Cyndaquil gently, so as to not scare it. Cyndaquil are timid Pokemon, after all, especially when they're young. He cleaned the remaining egg fragments off of the fire Pokemon as Cyndaquil yawned, as if to say, _'That was a good nap'_.

"I'm relieved, you know," Elm said to the Cyndaquil, who looked at him in confusion. "It's been a few weeks since I found you as an Egg in this lab, so I was beginning to think you'd never hatch."

_There's that word again...he said that before I fell._

"But I'm surprised!" Elm continued. "To see a Cyndaquil here is kind of a shock, especially since it's been a few years since I gave one to Gold..."

_A Cyndaquil? What's a Cyndaquil? Is that what I'm supposed to be now?  
_

The Cyndaquil squirmed out of Elm's arms, causing the professor to yelp in shock. It ran towards the nearest mirror and examined its reflection.

_What the..._

The Cyndaquil looked at its paws, then turned around to examine the spots on its back. Professor Elm smiled: it was always interesting to see how newly hatched Pokemon react to the world outside their comfortable Egg.

It was then that Elm noticed something on the back of Cyndaquil's neck.

"Could you hold still for a minute, please? I think there's still something on your back," he said, gently grabbing Cyndaquil and examining the strange something. It turned out to be a mark. Elm grabbed a piece of paper and a pen to write down the mark, hoping to perform research on it later.

"I didn't know Pokemon could get birthmarks..."he said offhandedly as he looked at what he wrote.

_"Wait a second, Prof! I'm not a Cyndaquil, or a Pokemon! My name is Axel! A-X-E-L! Got it memorized?_"

Elm jumped at the Cyndaquil's thrashing and trying to squirm out of Elm's arms again. It kept chirping its name as it tried to struggle.

"What is it, Cyndaquil? Stop it! Are you tired?" he asked, grabbing a Pokeball. After Cyndaquil was put inside, Elm sighed. He had never seen such a rowdy Cyndaquil. It would certainly give its Trainer a handful, whoever the unfortunate soul was.

Elm took a look at the paper again. It certainly was very strange, and it was possible he would never find a particular reason for it.

Because, honestly, why in the world would a Cyndaquil have the Roman numeral _VIII_ on the back of its neck?

* * *

Hope you like this first chapter!

What'd you think? Remember, good reviews make an author happy. Flames make an author sad.


	2. Flurry of Dancing Flames

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

On with the fic!

* * *

Axel - apparently now known as Cyndaquil - was not pleased. He was anything but.

He had been here for a few days now, and there was nothing to do. He _could_ try to burn one of the Professor's machines again, but there were repercussions he didn't want to get into.

There were two other Pokemon - as Elm called him - here, named Chikorita and Totodile that he could talk to. While Chikorita he relatively liked, he found Totodile just plain annoying. It could be because it's a water Pokemon, while Axel was fire.

_"Hey, Cyndaquil! Didja hear about Elm's experiment?" _Totodile asked, breaking Axel's personal bubble - again. Axel blinked, trying not to give into the urge to burn the water Pokemon's face off.

_"What experiment?"_

_"He thinks that if a Pokemon walks with a human outside their Pokeball, their bond will be stronger," _Chikorita said.

_"Does this have anything to do with us?" _he asked.

_"I think he's going to ask Lyra to take one of us to walk with her."  
_

_"Lyra? The girl with the ridiculously poofy hat?"_

Chikorita nodded as Totodile grinned. _  
_

_"She's going to pick me, I just know it! I want out of here so badly!" _the Water Pokemon exclaimed.

Before Axel could say anything - like how Lyra never liked Totodile since he bit her leg - Elm called them into their Pokeballs and set them on the machine.

* * *

Lyra entered the lab as Professor Elm set a Pokeball on the machine.

"Hi, Professor Elm!" she exclaimed. Elm turned around and smiled when he saw Lyra.

"Hi, Lyra! I was waiting for you!" he said, smiling as Lyra walked towards him. "I've been thinking lately...You know that Pokemon are normally held in Pokeballs, right?"

Lyra nodded, unsure of where Elm was going with this.

"But did you know that before the Pokeball was invented, people used to walk with their Pokemon?" he questioned.

"Like Ethan does with his Marill?"

"Yes! While Pokeballs are great because they carry Pokemon, there must be some advantages to walking with them. It could effect how they grow and evolve. So I'm going to give you one of these three Pokemon!" Elm said, motioning towards the machine.

Lyra's eyes and gain widened as she eyed the three Pokeballs on the machine. Which should she pick?

"If I give you one of these Pokemon, will you walk with it outside of its Pokeball and see if it forms a bond between Pokemon and people?" Elm asked Lyra. She nodded enthusiastically - she loved Pokemon!

"Well, then! Go ahead and pick one, Lyra! There's the grass-type Chikorita, the water-type Totodile and the fire Pokemon Cyndaquil!" he exclaimed, gesturing towards the three Pokemon.

Truthfully, Elm was certain that Lyra would choose Chikorita. He always thought that she and and the Grass-type would be a good match.

_Ping!_

Blinking, Elm turned towards his computer, which showed the icon of a Pidgey delivering mail. He clicked it and was greeted with this message:

**Hey, Elm!**

**I found something! Something big! I know you don't think that it's of any real meaning, but this time it's real! I swear!**

**Come over my house to pick it up! **

**-Mr. Pokemon**

Elm sighed. He was so busy with research, he couldn't possibly get the Pokemon Egg - which it probably was, knowing Mr. Pokemon - until long after it's hatched.

Unless...

Professor Elm turned to Lyra, explaining the email and finishing the speech with, "Can you go in our place? Can we count on you to do that?"

Lyra nodded enthusiastically.

"Splendid! Just pick a Pokemon and you're on your way!" Elm said as Lyra walked towards the machine.

_Hmmm...Which should I pick?_ she thought.

There was Chikorita. While it was a good Pokemon - sweet-tempered and affectionate, it _was_ a Grass Pokemon. Lyra promised herself she wouldn't start with a Grass type after the Shroomish incident back when she lived in Hoenn. Sometimes she thinks that she can still taste the Stun Spore whenever she had a cold.

Then there was Totodile. The one that bit her leg. That Pokemon was_ out_.

That left...

Lyra picked up the Pokeball and released the Pokemon inside. Elm blinked when the light faded.

"Really? You're picking Cyndaquil?" he asked skeptically. Axel looked up at Lyra, surprised. Like Elm, he thought Lyra would pick Chikorita.

"I've always liked Cyndaquil. Who wouldn't? They're so adorable!" Lyra exclaimed, hugging the Cyndaquil, who struggled to get out of the hug.

"Ah, yes, Lyra," Elm said, "But this Cyndaquil _is_ a bit rowdier than most. He tried to burn one of the machines!"

_A classic moment, _Axel thought, smirking inwardly.

"So was Ethan's Marill when he first got it. Don't worry about it, Professor, I'll be fine," Lyra said, walking off with Cyndaquil still in her arms. Elm sighed, pushing up his glasses.

"Good luck, Lyra...You'll need it with that Pokemon."

* * *

"I think I should give you a name. I mean, I can't really call you Cyndaquil all the time, can I? What do you think?"

The Cyndaquil looked up at his new Trainer. The two were on their way to Cherrygrove City - at least, that's what Lyra told him.

A name? That caused Axel to smirk inwardly. If he played his cards right, he'd be 'named' Axel, or at the very least, be given some kick-ass name. Much more kick-ass than _Cyndaquil._ He nodded.

"Okay, um...To start, I guess I have to find out if you're a boy or a girl. So..." Lyra held out her hands. "Left hand for boy, right hand for girl."

Axel looked at her for a second. Couldn't she tell that he was a guy? What exactly was wrong with her? Nevertheless, he put his paw on Lyra's left hand.

"So you're a boy...Okay. What do you think of the name Flare?"

_Flare sounds like a flamboyant name. I'd like to have a bad-ass kind of name, if not my own, so..._Axel thought, shaking its head.

"Blaze?"

_Pretty cool, but no. Let that one be our fallback plan, though._

"Zero?"

_No way.  
_

"Flurry?"

_NO! Reminds me way too much of the Organization.  
_

"How about Cynders?"

_"KINGDOM HEARTS, NO! There is NO WAY I will be named Cynders!" _

Lyra sighed as Cyndaquil showed blatant objection for each nickname. She was running out of names, and fast. And she _really_ didn't want to call him Cyndaquil all of the time. She always felt that Pokemon should have their own identity, and that started with giving them names. Besides, what would she do if she had two of the same Pokemon?

"Well, unless you can think of a name, we'll pick up that subject again later..." Lyra started. Cyndaquil sighed as they kept walking. If only they could find something with Axel on it...

It was then that they saw a sign pointing to Cherrygrove City. It was vandalized, saying, "Axel Rhodes Rules!" (1)

_Not this again..._Lyra thought. This was the work of a famous vandal that has showed up in various parts of Johto. Technically, Axel Rhodes wasn't a real name - the vandal made it up to throw off the police.

Cyndaquil instantly jumped off Lyra's shoulder and pointed to the vandalism.

"What is it, boy?" Lyra asked as Cyndaquil jumped up and down. It was then that she saw the Pokemon was pointing at the name Axel.

"...Axel? You want to be called Axel?" she asked. Cyndaquil - now Axel - nodded happily.

"I guess that is a pretty cool name," she admitted as Axel hopped on her shoulder again. "Let's get going - Cherrygrove can't be too far from here."

_Damn right it's a cool name, _Axel thought, smirking smugly as the two made their way towards the small city.

* * *

(1) I was listening to a Youtube video called 'Axel Rhodes' while thinking of a way for Cyndaquil to be named Axel. Tom Rhodes + Axel = Epic win. XD

Hope you enjoyed!

Remember, class...

Good reviews/concrit = happy author.

Flames = sad/angry author.

Go ahead. Make my day.


	3. The Encounter

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

I guess you can figure out by the chapter title what's gonna happen. :D

On with the fic!

* * *

"Well, here we are, Axel. This is Cherrygrove City," Lyra said as the two entered the small city.

Axel looked at the city from his perch on Lyra's shoulder (which was quite comfortable.).

_You call this a city? _he thought. _Twilight Town's more lively than this. _

He wasn't sure if he could call it a city - scratch that, it couldn't even be called a town. It was more like a village. But, to the credit of whoever named this place, 'Cherrygrove Village' doesn't have as much of a ring as Cherrygrove City did.

Axel's musings were halted by an old man tapping Lyra on the shoulder. She turned towards him and the two stared at each other.

"You're a rookie Trainer, aren't you? I can tell!" he finally said. Axel gave him a deadpan look as Lyra nodded.

_And the fact that she has no other Pokemon has nothing to do with your **amazing** discovery, _he thought sarcastically.

"It's okay, kid! Everyone's a rookie at some point! I can teach you a few things, if you'd like!" he said, grinning. Before Lyra could reply, he dashed towards the building with the red roof. When he saw that Lyra didn't follow him, he blinked a few times before saying, "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you don't have any Running Shoes."

_Running Shoes? You **really** need shoes to run in this world?_ Axel thought, raising a nonexistent eyebrow.

"I'll try to go as slow as possible, so try to keep up!" he said as Lyra followed him to the red building.

"This is the Pokemon Center. They heal Pokemon while you wait, so whether you're in a scrap or just passing by, it is always recommended that you stop by here," he said. Lyra nodded as they went to the building next to it, the one with the blue roof.

"This is the PokeMart," the old man said. "They sell things like PokeBalls to capture wild Pokemon, and Potions to heal them. You walk down the path next to it to get to Route 30. Mr. Pokemon's house is over that way."

_What do you know, he's actually useful. I don't think we knew that, _Axel thought as the three went over to the nearby body of water. Axel's nose crinkled in distaste.

"This is the sea, as you can see," the old man said, chuckling. "Some Pokemon are found only in water." Axel groaned inwardly at the man's attempt at a joke.

They made their way to their final destination, which was a house; as normal as any house.

"This place...is where I live!"

Lyra and Axel facefaulted. The old man chuckled upon this reaction.

"As a reward for keeping up with me, I'd like you to have this!" he said, giving Lyra a box. She opened it and inside there were brand new Running Shoes.

_Are you kidding, old man? _Axel thought, examining the shoes. These looked pretty expensive.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to..." Lyra started when the old man held his hand up to silence her.

"It's no problem. I just like to help Rookie Trainers like you. I have a whole stash of these!" he said, going into his house.

Axel and Lyra looked at the shoes, and then at each other.

"I just don't get it, Axel," Lyra said, changing shoes. "Why would someone stock up on shoes like these just to give them away for free?"

_Your guess is as good as mine, kiddo, _Axel thought. When Lyra was finished changing, she put her old shoes in her bag and looked at the path leading to Route 30.

"This is where Mr. Pokemon lives, right? Let's get..."

"Wait a minute!"

She turned around and saw the old man running after them.

_What is it now? _Axel thought as he stopped to catch some air. When he got enough air, he said, "I forgot to give you this." He took out a small chip.

"May I see your PokeGear?" he asked. Lyra handed him the PokeGear and the old man put the chip in.

"...There! I just put a map chip in your PokeGear. Just press the button and you'll see where you are in the region you're currently in!" he said, causing Lyra to smile.

"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed. The old man grinned.

"No problem! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some nice apple cider waiting for me. Toodles!" he exclaimed, running off.

_Talk about weird, _Axel thought as the two went on their way.

* * *

"Think this is it?" Lyra asked as they approached a house.

_It better be, _Axel thought, recalling the other house they went into. It wasn't Mr. Pokemon, but the guy was kind enough to give them something to hold Apricorns with. Convenient, but annoying at the same time.

Lyra opened the door and was instantly greeted by another old man in a brown suit.

"You must be Lyra! I'm Mr. Pokemon! Come in!" he exclaimed, ushering Trainer and Pokemon into the house.

_Not the most original name, is it? _Axel thought, stifling a chuckle as he observed their surroundings.

"Wait right here!" he said while opening the cabinet and carefully carrying an Egg.

_Wait. I came out of that thing? _Axel thought, looking over the Egg. It was white, with blue and red triangles.

"This is what I want Professor Elm to examine," Mr. Pokemon said, handing Lyra the Egg. "I don't think you can find this in Johto, so I figured he'd be able to tell us. After all, he's the best when it comes to Pokemon evolution! Professor Oak himself said that."

As he said this, he gestured to the other occupant of the room, who smiled and waved.

"Hello, I'm Professor Oak, a Pokemon researcher," he introduced. "So you're Lyra. I was just visiting my friend here when I heard you would be coming. So I decided to wait."

"Why don't you let your Cyndaquil rest a bit? It does seem a bit tired," Mr. Pokemon commented, looking at the Cyndaquil standing next to Lyra.

_Me? Tired? Right, _Axel thought, crossing his arms and looking away.

"Sorry about Axel. He's a bit stubborn," Lyra explained, sweatdropping. Professor Oak went over to the two and examined the Cyndaquil, who stared back as if to say, _"Are you looking at me?"_

"I see. A rare Pokemon...You're helping Professor Elm with his research," he said, more a statement than a question. Lyra nodded.

"I see why. It looks like you will treat your Pokemon with love and care," he mused, looking at the small Fire Pokemon again. This Lyra does seem dependable...Perhaps...

"How would you like to help me out with something?" he asked Lyra, taking out a small, red device and handing it to Lyra. "This is the latest version of the PokeDex. It records data of the Pokemon you've seen or caught. I'd like you to have this!"

As she accepted it, Lyra looked at the small device as if she was a Heartless that had just discovered new hearts to feast upon. Axel wondered why: what was so important about obtaining something no bigger than your hand?

"To see all of the Pokemon in the world...that was my dream," Oak explained. "But I'm too old to do it now. So I'd like you to complete that PokeDex."

"You can count on me, Professor!" she said, grinning.

"Good!" Oak replied, turning to Mr. Pokemon. "It appears I have stayed too long. I should get going to Goldenrod for the radio show. Lyra, I don't think this is the last time we'll meet...So let's exchange numbers to be on the safe side."

When numbers were registered, Oak left.

"I should get going, too. New Bark isn't too far off from here, so we can rest there," Lyra said as the Axel hopped on her shoulder. "Bye."

* * *

When they left the house, Lyra took out the PokeDex and stared at it in wonder.

"I can't believe Professor Oak entrusted me with this..." she said. Axel looked at her in confusion.

"This is big, Axel! Huge!" Lyra exclaimed upon noticing Axel's incredulous look. "The Trainers that have this have access to vast information about Pokemon, and thus they grow to become legendary Trainers. The two most famous are Red and Blue."

_Red and Blue? Two legends in this world are named after **colors? **_Axel thought skeptically._  
_

"Blue, I think, is a Gym Leader in Kanto," Lyra continued. "Nobody knows where Red is. He disappeared about three years ago."

_Beepbeepbeepbeep~_

Blinking, Lyra took out her PokeGear and pushed the button. The screen flickered and the two saw the image of Professor Elm, looking panicked.

"Something wrong, Professor?" Lyra asked.

**"L-Lyra! Thank Arceus I managed to reach you!"** Elm replied. It was then that Lyra noticed the mess behind Elm.

"What happened at the lab?" she asked, concern starting to rise.

**"It's a disaster! It's terrible! Please come to New Bark immediately!"**

Professor Elm hung up, causing looks of confusion to appear on Axel and Lyra's faces.

"What was that all about?" Lyra asked herself. Axel shrugged.

"Well, it does seem pretty urgent...And we were about to go there anyway. Let's go!" she said, running off with Axel trailing behind.

* * *

"Hey, Axel, I was wondering..."

Axel turned to his Trainer, blinking.

"What do you think Professor Elm was so worried about? I mean, he does worry a lot, but he seemed like he was about to have a panic attack. Why is that?" Lyra mused as the two exited Cherrygrove City.

_You're really asking **me** this? I can't talk back, remember? _Axel said, twitching. It was then that he saw...

_A Heartless? _he thought. He examined the figure walking its way towards them. He had black clothes but Axel didn't think Heartless had red hair like this kid had.

The red-haired boy looked at Lyra and Axel in distaste.

"So you got a Pokemon at the Lab...What a waste. That Pokemon's too good for a little wimp like you," he sneered. Axel almost expected Lyra to break down and cry right there.

The key word being _almost._

"Jealous?" Lyra teased. Axel smirked inwardly at this.

The boy faltered, sputtering. What the hell was wrong with this girl? This girl was so puny, he could snap her in half if he wanted to! Where were the waterworks?

"Don't you get what I'm saying?" he demanded. "I have a good Pokemon, too! I'll show you!"

He tossed a PokeBall in the air. It opened, and in a brilliant flash of light...

_"Oh no, not you!" _Axel exclaimed upon seeing Totodile.

_"Hey, Cyndaquil! Long time!" _Totodile greeted. Axel jumped off of Lyra's shoulder, ready to fight.

_"It's Axel now. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" _he replied. Totodile grinned, showing its many teeth.

_"And you can call me Jaws," _he replied, getting into a battle stance as the boy yelled, "Jaws, Scratch attack!"

"Dodge and Tackle, Axel!" Lyra replied. Axel dodged Jaws' attack and counterattacked.

"Scratch again, Jaws!"

"Use Leer!"

Jaws managed to land a Scratch on Axel, who glared menacingly at Jaws. The Totodile recoiled in fear.

"Don't get intimidated, Jaws! Get up and attack it!" the boy snapped.

"Too slow! Tackle!" Lyra shouted. Axel charged full-speed at Jaws, who fainted. Lyra cheered as Axel crossed his arms smugly. The boy returned Jaws to his PokeBall and humphed.

"Are you happy you won? Here, take your stupid money and get out of my sight!" he exclaimed, handing Lyra victory money. Lyra took it gratefully and examined the boy's face. The boy fidgeted under her gaze.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped, trying to look away.

"Who exactly are you?" she asked. "I think I've seen you before, but I can't put my finger on it..."

"You really want to know who I am?" the boy snapped. "I'm going to be the greatest Pokemon Trainer in the world. That's all someone like_ you_ needs to know."

With that, he walked off. Axel noticed something fall out of the boy's pocket and picked it up.

"What is it, Axel?" she asked, taking the object out of Axel's paws. It was the boy's Trainer Card! He wasn't even smiling in his picture.

_Reminds me of Mansex, that one, _Axel thought. Lyra examined the name.

That was when the boy realized he lost something and ran back towards Lyra.

"Give me that!" he demanded, snatching the Trainer's Card from her hands. Lyra put her hands on her hips.

"You really should watch where you keep your stuff, _Silver Roketo_," she said, putting a great emphasis on his name.

_**Another **color name? Must be pretty common in this world, _Axel thought as Silver flinched.

"...Dammit," he swore. "You saw my name..."

With that, the boy ran off. Lyra cupped her mouth with her hands and shouted, "Hey, Silver! My name's Lyra!"

"Like I care!" Silver shouted in response as he disappeared into Route 30.

Axel and Lyra stared ahead in silence.

"I don't think that's the last time we'll see him," Lyra finally said. "What do you think, Axel?"

Axel nodded in agreement, thinking, _Definitely not. After ten minutes I can tell he's like a Heartless: he's a persistent little bastard. _

* * *

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	4. Apprehension

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Okay, a bit of filler, stolen Pokemon and Violet City...But fear not! I have something planned for the next chapter! All you're hearing from me!

On with the fic!

* * *

The minute Lyra entered the lab, she was greeted in two different ways: a grateful look from Professor Elm and a harsh look from the...policeman? What was going on?

"Who are you?" the policeman asked gruffly. "We're investigating a case right now. A Pokemon was stolen from the lab."

"Stolen?" Lyra repeated.

"Yes And the first rule happens to be whoever did it will return to the site," the policeman replied. His eyes widened at what he said. "You're the one who did it, aren't you?"

"Wait, what? No!" Lyra exclaimed, putting her hands up in defense. Axel growled at the policeman.

The door opened harshly to reveal Ethan with his faithful Marill at his side.

"Hold on a minute! Lyra's got nothing to do with this!" he yelled, running towards the group of people.

"Oh? And do you have proof?" the policeman asked, almost skeptically. Ethan nodded vigorously.

"I saw it with my own eyes! It was a dark red-haired boy! He was the one who came into the lab and stole a Pokemon!" he said, causing Axel and Lyra to look at each other.

"That explains why he didn't want us to know his name," Lyra said, causing all eyes to turn to her.

"What? You saw him, Ly?" Ethan asked.

"I saw him on my way here. He challenged me to a Pokemon battle and lost. He was using Totodile," Lyra said, causing Professor Elm to jump.

"Totodile was the stolen Pokemon! It has to be him!" he exclaimed. The policeman nodded, slightly sweatdropping.

"Young lady, did you happen to get the boy's name?" he asked the pigtailed girl. Lyra nodded.

"Yes, I did. It's Silver," she replied. The policeman scribbled the name into his notepad.

"So Silver's his name...Thanks for your help!" he said cheerfully. Lyra and Axel sweatdropped.

_He was glaring at her one minute and cheerful the next? _Axel thought as the policeman pocketed his notepad.

"I gotta get going," he said to the Professor. "I'm going to investigate this individual. Stay safe, everyone!"

Elm nodded as the policeman left. He grabbed the PokeBall holding Chikorita and looked at it sadly.

"This is terrible...what am I going to do?" he asked, more to himself than to Ethan and Lyra. Axel eyed the lonely PokeBall, and then Ethan, who was looking at it in sympathy. He nudged Lyra and pointed at the PokeBall, and then Ethan. She blinked, apparently getting what Axel was trying to say. She raised an eyebrow and Axel nodded. Lyra smiled.

"You know, Professor Elm, I think I know someone you can trust Chikorita with," she said, causing all eyes to go to her.

"You do? Who?" Elm asked. Lyra grinned, gesturing towards Ethan, who immediately got the gist.

"Me?" he asked, looking at Lyra as if she had grown a new head. Chikorita wasn't exactly the first Pokemon he would choose. Lyra nodded.

"Yes, you! Everyone's seen you play with Marill!" she said, slinging an arm around Ethan's shoulders. "You'll do great with Chikorita!"

"She does seem to want to play more than anything," Elm mused, eying the PokeBall. Ethan looked at Marill, who was giving him puppy dog eyes. He sighed.

"Well, Marill does want a playmate for when I can't play with her...Okay," he conceded, causing Marill to cheer. As Elm gave Ethan the PokeBall, Lyra hugged him.

"Thanks, Ethan. The last thing we need is for Silver to steal Chikorita, especailly because she's so gentle," she said. Nobody noticed Ethan blushing, save for Marill and Axel.

_"How long do you think that's been going on?" _Axel asked Marill. The water mouse shrugged.

_"For a while, I guess. I don't think he's even aware of it yet," _she replied as Lyra let go of Ethan. The black-haired boy scratched the back of his head.

"I should get going. Gotta introduce these two. Anyway, Lyra, I'm glad you're off the hook. See ya!" he said, running out of the lab. Elm sighed.

"I'm glad that was taken care of," he said, straightening his glasses. "Now, what did Mr. Pokemon find?"

"Oh, yeah!" Lyra exclaimed, carefully getting the Egg out of her bag. She gave it to Professor Elm, who examined it.

"This Egg?" he asked. "It's not like any Egg I've ever seen...but it's still an Egg. Mr. Pokemon has always been fascinated by them. Since he gave it to us, we might as well try to find out what secrets it holds. I'll keep it for a while."

It was then that Professor Elm noticed the red device on Lyra's belt. He blinked.

"Lyra...what is that?" he asked, voice shaking. If this is what he thought it was...

"Oh, yeah! Professor Oak was at Mr. Pokemon's house! He gave me this PokeDex!" Lyra exclaimed. Elm looked about ready to have a heart attack.

"Th-That's incredible!" he exclaimed. "Professor Oak is an expert at sniffing out the potential in people as Trainers. I always knew you were a bit different from everyone else. This is going to be fun!"

Lyra grinned, nodding. Elm noticed Axel resting on Lyra's shoulder. The Cyndaquil seemed to be more relaxed in the day he spent with the pigtailed girl.

_Maybe that Cyndaquil was a good match for her after all..._he grudgingly admitted.

"It looks like your Cyndaquil likes you, Lyra. So why don't you take the Gym Challenge? If you beat all eight Gym Leaders, you may get a chance to face the Elite Four and the Champion...Or not!" Elm chuckled. "I'm not saying you won't get there eventually, but it will be no easy task. Your first stop is Violet City, but make sure you talk to your mom first."

* * *

So. Meeting Lyra's mother. Who pretty much reminded Axel of Larxene...if Larxene was a brunette and had an strong love for cute, cuddly things. That seemed to be especially strong for small, firey Pokemon named Cyndaquil.

Seriously! She had the same come-what-may-and-hell-to-pay attitude, and Axel was surprised she didn't hug him to death!

"It wasn't that bad, Axel," Lyra said, trying to cheer the fire Pokemon up. "You should have seen her when Ethan first brought Azurill over. I didn't think the poor thing would have survived."

_That's so comforting, _Axel thought darkly. Lyra sweatdropped at her Pokemon's behavior. This was going to be a long journey indeed.

"Hey, Lyra! Come over here for a second!"

Lyra saw Ethan waving at her. Chikorita was smiling at the Cyndaquil perched on Lyra's shoulder.

_"So, Cyndaquil! Lyra picked you?" _Chikorita asked.

_"Yep. And it's Axel now. Got it memorized?" _Axel replied. Chikorita huffed, looking up at her Trainer.

_"I'm jealous! I wish Ethan would name me," _she pouted.

"I see Chikorita's warmed up to you," Lyra commented. Ethan nodded.

"You know how to catch a Pokemon?" he asked. Lyra looked at him in confusion.

"Here, let me show you!"

_"Have you noticed that Ethan likes Lyra?" _Chikorita asked as Ethan got Marill to weaken and capture a Rattata. Axel looked at the Grass-type skeptically.

_"Honestly, only a Heartless wouldn't know that."_

_"I don't think I know what a Heartless is. Is that some sort of Dark-type Pokemon?"_

_"...Yeah. Let's go with that."_

_

* * *

_"I think I'm getting the hang of this," Lyra said. They were almost at Violet City, which was apparently where the first Gym was. Along the way she had caught a Sentret and nicknamed it Scout. And Axel learned Ember, which made the fire Pokemon very, _very_ happy.

As they entered the city, they were caught - again - by Ethan. This time his Marill was trailing behind him.

"Hey, Lyra! How'd you get ahead of me?" he asked. "I forgot to give you this. It's a thank you for Chikorita."

He handed her a blue device, a bit bigger than the PokeDex.

"It's a Vs. Recorder," he explained. "It records your Pokemon battles. I don't know exactly how it works, though."

"So you're letting me figure it out? Thanks," Lyra pouted. Ethan laughed, sweatdropping.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out! You're a smart cookie, Ly," Ethan said. Lyra grinned in response.

"Thanks, Eth!" she chirped. Ethan's face went a little red.

"I gotta get going. C'mon, Marill! We won't let them beat us again!" he said to the water mouse.

_When did this become a competition? _Axel thought as the boy and his Pokemon ran off.

"C'mon, let's get going!" Lyra said as they ran into Violet City. "We gotta challenge the Gym, remember?"

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S CLOSED?"

Axel sighed. They had just entered the Violet City Gym expecting an epic match...only to find this fat guy with glasses. Said fat guy proceeded to tell them that the Gym was closed.

Bummer.

"Sorry! I don't have a copy of Falkner's schedule!" the fat man snapped. "In the meantime, you might want to train at Sprout Tower. It's getting dark; you might be able to catch a Gastly in there!"

Lyra sighed; she was so looking forward to that battle...but she guessed that could wait. She walked out of the gym, saying, "C'mon, Axel. We could always get some training in, right?"

Axel was happy to agree. He had seen the large tower on their way to the gym. Set against the full moon, it reminded him of the Castle That Never Was. As Lyra walked over to the tower, she had an eerie feeling crawl into the pit of her stomach.

_Why do I have a bad feeling about this? _

* * *

What'd you think? Remember, good reviews make an author happy. Flames make an author sad.


	5. The Cloaked Schemer

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

...Uh, I can explain.

For those of you who have not seen the original of this chapter, Zexion was going to be the one who informs Lyra of their predicament. Then I had a flash of inspiration, and I really wanted to ride it out and see where it takes me. So I decided to rewrite this chapter. I'm so sorry! I'll make it up to you somehow, I promise!

On with the fic!

* * *

_Sprout Tower, eh? Wonder what's so 'sprouty' about it? _Axel thought as the two entered the ancient building. There was a pillar in the middle of the room that swayed back and forth in an almost hypnotic manner.

Lyra took out a brochure she picked up on the way here, reading, "'Sprout Tower is best known for its central pillar, which sways back and forth, much like a Bellsprout'. I guess that explains the name, huh?"

Axel nodded, a bit impatient to start battling. If this place had only Rattatas, coupled with the Trainers here all having Bellsprout, he was ready to go.

* * *

_This kid again? _Axel thought. They had climbed to the top of the tower, defeating Bellsprouts (all of which Axel had a field day with, by the way) and the occasional Hoothoot along the way. And now they were about to face the Elder. However, there was a rather familiar redheaded visitor.

"You have a talent, that much is certain," the Elder said, giving Silver a disc. "However, you push your Pokemon far too hard. Pokemon are not tools of war." Silver scoffed at this and turned, seeing Lyra and Axel.

"He calls himself an Elder!" he exclaimed. "He was no match. It's not surprising: anyone who preaches about 'loving' their Pokemon...they're the ones who fall in the end. Power is the name of the game, whether in people or in Pokemon. That's all I care about. "

Silver used an Escape Rope to get out. Lyra didn't notice she had pulled her hand into a fist until she felt a slight pain in her palm. She examined it and saw that her nails had created small indents.

_I can't believe he could think that! Pokemon are living creatures! _she thought. Then she remembered the reptilian Pokemon he had stolen. _The poor Totodile..._

Then she remembered why she was here. She had to get stronger. Not just to beat Silver, but she _was_ going to prove him wrong, no matter what.

"Um..." she started. The Elder looked at her and smiled.

"So glad you could come up here!" he exclaimed cheerfully. Axel nearly fell to the floor.

_One minute he's all solemn and the next he's cheerful? Someone's bipolar..._he thought.

"Sprout Tower is, first and foremost, a training grounds. For years, people have tested the bonds they share with their Pokemon in order to build a brighter future. I am your final test," the old man explained. Lyra nodded, grinning.

"Well, then! We'll give you a run for your money, right Axel?" she asked. Axel nodded and got ready to fight.

"Allow me to test the bonds between you!" he exclaimed, throwing a PokeBall. Out came another Bellsprout, causing Axel to smirk.

_Bring it on, _he thought as Lyra gave the command to use Ember.

* * *

"That wasn't so bad, was it? You and Scout got to level up!" Lyra said as the two climbed down the tower.

_Yeah, but being pecked by a very annoying Hoothoot can be a little bothersome, _Axel thought irritably. He had been pretty close to fainting because of that stupid owl Pokemon and had to switch with Scout.

(How close was our favorite Nobody-turned-Pokemon to fainting, you may ask?

Put your thumb and forefinger into a pinching position and make sure there's a teeny-tiny bit of space between them. There's your answer.)

No sooner than Axel thought that, Lyra saw a cloudy purple mist floating slowly towards them. That could only mean...

"A Gastly! Get ready, Axel!" Lyra told him. Axel jumped in front of her, ready to fight. Gastly seemed to be observing the Trainer-Pokemon duo, as if waiting for something.

"Let's try to beat this one as soon as possible," she added. Lyra never liked Ghost Pokemon that much. Neither did Scout. That was why Axel had done all the fighting in here.

Axel nodded as if to say, _'yeah yeah, whatever'._

_"Axel?"_

The Cyndaquil blinked, staring at the Gastly. Its voice sounded familiar...almost naggingly familiar.

_"I'm famous already? Shouldn't be too surprised," _he said cockily. The Gastly sighed in irritation.

_"You haven't changed at all. I suppose you don't recognize me?" _

_"How the hell could I?" _Axel replied.

_"I suppose it would be hard to recognize a murder victim, especially when you're the murderer. Look at my forehead."  
_

It was then that Axel noticed the roman numeral for VI on the Gastly's forehead. It was pretty faint, but it was still there. He blinked, eventually putting two and two together.

_"Zexion? You're in this mess, too?" _Axel asked. The Gastly nodded, almost grimly.

_"Talk about weird. I thought I was the only one," _Axel said. Zexion sighed.

_"It doesn't appear that way. I do wonder what happened to the others..." _

Lyra's eyebrow shot up as she watched Axel and the Gastly converse. What was going on? Normally Axel would jump at the chance of a battle! So why was he talking to this Pokemon that they had met five minutes ago?

Strange...

"Axel? Something wrong?" she asked. Axel turned towards her. He momentarily forgot that he was supposed to be Lyra's Pokemon. But Zexion being here could be a clue to why he's a Cyndaquil. That was a step closer to unraveling this mystery!

Zexion appeared to be thinking the same thing.

_"Axel, that girl is your Trainer, is she not?" _he asked. Axel nodded, not sure where the Ghost Pokemon was going.

_"I realize that in the past we have not been the best of acquaintances,"_ Zexion continued, _"but since we are in the same predicament, I suppose it wouldn't do any good to be fighting right now. I suggest we work together."_

_"...Seriously?"_

_"Yes. As much as it pains me to say it, I will accompany you on your journey," _Zexion said, nodding. Axel shrugged: he never liked Zexion, but if it meant eventually changing back from a Pokemon_, _so be it_._

But how to deliver the message to Lyra...

_Ah-ha!  
_

Axel ran to Lyra's bag and searched through the pockets. He grinned when he found a PokeBall and handed it to Lyra. He pointed at the PokeBall, and then at the Gastly.

Lyra blinked, putting two and two together.

"...You want me to _catch_ him?" she asked skeptically. Axel nodded, trying to give a pleading face in response (_There goes my dignity..._he thought_)_. Lyra groaned, grabbing the PokeBall.

"I don't like Ghost Pokemon that much, but...PokeBall, go!" she shouted, throwing the PokeBall at the Ghost Pokemon. When the Pokemon was captured, it shook a few times, and stopped. Lyra sighed, picking the PokeBall up.

"Just as long as he doesn't try to scare me or Scout, okay Axel?" she asked. Axel nodded.

_No problem. Zexy's not one for scaring. Mindfuckery is more his style.  
_

* * *

I'm not sure if I got Zexion's character right...D: As I finish this chapter, it's nearly three in the morning. Insomnia's a bitch, but it's sadly common when you're a college freshman, especially if you're a music major.

Please review! :D


	6. Organization XIII

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

I'm so sorry this took so long. But OMGWTFBBQ. GLEE! :D

It started with the 11/9 episode, _Never Been Kissed_. I'll be honest...the second season was mostly blah and a bit disappointing (with a few good covers - I'm still listening to a few of them). But then this episode came up and I'm back in love with _Glee_. All the plot twists (that appeal to the psychologist/writer in me) and amazing harmonies (that appeal to the musician in me) conspired - and succeeded - to force me to die and go to heaven.

Then came the 11/23 episode, _Furt_. *sings a high B (which is a pretty high note for those of you who aren't music majors)* I'm STILL listening to their version of 'Marry You'! More musical heaven.

But I digress. I am back from this heavenly death to bring unto you a chapter.

(Yeah, I had to get that out of the way.)

On with the fic!

* * *

Lyra stared at the new addition to her team. The sight almost amused Axel.

The Gastly stared back with an expressionless face. The Ghost Pokemon's face almost scared Lyra.

The two were locked in a staring contest, and it didn't look like either of them was going to win anytime soon. The tension almost killed Scout.

Then Lyra opened her mouth and said:

"I have no idea what to name you."

Scout and Axel facefaulted. The Gastly chuckled in amusement as their Trainer sighed.

"I guess I'll think about it later. C'mon, we should at least get some training done. I hear the Gym Leader here is pretty tough. We're going to have to be on top of our game!" she said, clapping her hands. She walked off, musing about how they needed an Electric Pokemon to get if push came to shove.

Axel, Scout, and Zexion looked at each other.

_"All that tension for nothing..." _Scout muttered, sighing. Axel shrugged.

_"Well, Lyra's never been too creative. I had to point out a piece of vandalism to get my name, and you were named after a character in a book Lyra read not too long before she started this journey."_

_"...I guess that's fair," _Scout replied, sighing. Zexion raised an eyebrow.

_"A piece of vandalism? That** does **sound like something you'd be named after," _he commented. Scout raised an eyebrow.

_"I've been meaning to ask...do you guys know each other or something? You're acting like friends, and all of us have only just met!"_

Axel and Zexion looked at each other.

_"Uh..."  
_

_"I suppose you could say that we were friends who have just been reunited. It's a long story, believe me. Don't worry too much about it."_

_

* * *

_Lyra observed her surroundings. She had decided to take a break from training, so she had decided to go here in order to relax a bit...and hopefully get her mind off of the fact that she had tried - and failed - to catch a Mareep. Lyra sighed: Mareep weren't exactly the easiest Pokemon to find, let alone catch. But she _still_ needed an Electric Pokemon to get _some_ sort of advantage against Falkner.

And besides, Mareep were pretty cute Pokemon.

Scout fidgeted, looking around. What were all these caves and old buildings? Is this some sort of ruins?

"C'mon, Scout. This is the Ruins of Alph. Granted, it is a bit quiet, but I've always wanted to go here. I hear there's some sort of puzzle to solve here," Lyra said, walking towards the nearest cavern. Scout followed, a bit nervously.

_Why do I get the feeling that this is going to end with some sort of confusion? _she thought as the Trainer and Pokemon duo entered. The attendant smiled.

"Welcome to the Ruins of Alph. Feel free to try your hand at this puzzle right here. It shouldn't be too hard if you're a Pokemon Trainer," she told Lyra, who smiled as she came up to the slabs of rock. The factoid/hint that was provided was that it was a shelled prehistoric Pokemon.

It took about five minutes for Lyra to solve the puzzle. She grinned upon doing so.

"I did it!" she exclaimed. Scout chirped happily, climbing to rest upon Lyra's shoulder.

That was when the floor gave out from underneath them. The two looked down, and then at each other. They screamed as they started to fall. Soon enough they landed in what seemed to be an abandoned chamber. There were strange-letter like markings on the walls.

"Ouch…Shouldn't have done that," she said, getting up and dusting off her shorts.

_You really shouldn't have, _Scout thought, shaking her head and sighing._  
_

Lyra blinked, looking around the room. This place seemed so empty and silent, you could hear a pin drop. It felt a bit off, though...

"It feels like there's somebody here…" she commented. Scout looked around as well, getting a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

_...Lyra's right, _Scout thought, getting apprehensive. _It's like somebody's watching us.._.

That was when Lyra turned around and saw herself face to face with a black-and-white creature. It appeared to be shaped like an A, and its eye was in the very middle. It floated in front of Lyra, almost observing her and the Pokemon at her feet. It turned around and chirped its name repeatedly. Soon enough, several more of these strange Pokemon came up and surrounded the two, chirping their names.

"W-what's going on?" Lyra shakily asked as Scout hid behind her leg, never taking her eyes off the strange Pokemon. The other two PokeBalls opened themselves, letting out Axel and the newly caught Gastly.

The two Pokemon looked around in confusion. Why were they out now, of all times?

_"I was taking a nap," _Axel complained. Zexion gave Axel a deadpan look, shaking his head. As this happened, the strange Pokemon seemed to create a strange light.

"What the hell?" Lyra exclaimed as they were enveloped in the white light.

* * *

_The first thing Lyra saw when she woke up was white. The first thing she felt was Scout nudging her arm.  
_

_As her eyes adjusted to the harsh light, she saw that she was in a circular room, all in white and various shades of gray. Looking down, she saw a strange symbol that almost looked like a heart. Looking around, she also saw thirteen chairs in various heights. Only two of them were occupied; one by a young man with silver hair and a monotone glance, and another by a man with fiery red hair, wearing a mischievous smirk._

**_Reminds me of Axel, _**_Lyra thought. The redhead stretched his arms, grinning to himself._

_"It feels good to stretch!" the redhead exclaimed. "Being a small mouse hasn't been fun."_

_"How do you think** I** reacted to this whole thing, Number VIII?" the silverhead replied, crossing his arms. "You're fortunate to have a solid body. Passing through walls the first time was perplexing."_

_Lyra said an eyebrow. What were they talking about?_

_"Oh, you're awake," the silverhead observed, looking at Lyra. The pigtailed girl glared at him._

_"Where am I?" she demanded. "I was in the Ruins of Alph the last time I was checked. And then those letter Pokemon showed up…"_

_"I'm not so sure," the silverhead replied. "I am Zexion, known to you as Gastly. Those Pokemon must have created a replica room of sorts."_

_"**You're** Gastly? Replica room?" Lyra asked, clutching her head. "I'm getting confused...wait, is my Cyndaquil here, too? I don't see him..."_

_"Your Cyndaquil's right here," the redhead quipped, pointing his thumb at himself. Lyra gaped at the thin redhead.  
_

_"You can't be!"_

_"Want proof? I was 'named' from a piece of vandalism, and I am, in Professor Elm's words, 'very rowdy for a Cyndaquil'."_

_Lyra sputtered, then put a hand to her head. The fact that Scout's jaw didn't fall to the ground was a miracle.  
_

_"I think I need a little help..." she groaned. Zexion sighed.  
_

_"I suppose I should start at the beginning," he said. "What do you know about the heart?" Lyra put her finger to her chin in thought._

_"I don't mean the organ," he said before she could say anything. "I mean the metaphysical heart."_

_Lyra was silenced at this. _

_"The metaphysical heart holds a human's emotions," Zexion started. "If someone loses their heart - because of greed and whatnot - and if the person is strong-willed, a Nobody is formed."_

_"...nobody?" Lyra repeated, her head starting to hurt. Zexion nodded grimly._

_"A Nobody has a body and a soul, but lacks a heart, depriving them of any emotion," he explained. "That was our fate - there were thirteen of us Nobodies. This group was called Organization XIII. One by one, we started to disappear for various reasons."_

_"When all of us disappeared, I remember hearing some voice say how we were all gonna be reborn...and then I hatched into a Cyndaquil," Axel added._

_"...So basically, you were emotionless shells until you disappeared. I get that part, but how come you guys are Pokemon now?" Lyra asked, trying to absorb the information this 'Zexion' had given her. Scout had gained swirly eyes as a result of this explanation.  
_

_"That I still haven't figured out," Zexion replied. Lyra gave him a suspicious glare._

_"Then how do I know what you're saying is true?" Lyra asked. "For all I know this really _could_ be a dream!"_

_"Check the back of your Cyndaquil's neck," Zexion replied. Lyra raised an eyebrow. How does _that_ answer her question?_

_"Upon forming the Organization, we decided that numbers were proper identification," Zexion explained to her. "And so each member had a number, ranging from I to XIII. Axel was Number VIII, so you should see the Roman Numeral VIII there."_

_"And Zexy here was Number VI, so you should find it on his forehead. Got it memorized?" Axel added. Lyra blinked._

_"Elm never told me that," she pouted. Elm should have known, at least: Axel _did_ hatch in his lab. Axel smirked._

_"He probably meant to, but couldn't get a word in edgewise. **Someone** was busy dancing out of the lab," he remarked. Before Lyra could reply, the room started to fade._

_"We must be waking up," Zexion obversed. Lyra sighed as she and Scout started to fade.  
_

_"I'm not sure what's going on, really. I'll just see whether or not it's a dream and go from there, I guess," she said as she and Scout disappeared. Zexion turned to Axel._

_"And by the way, Number VIII...Be prepared should you meet Vexen. I may not have forgiven you for what you have done, but at least I had some respect for you beforehand. However, the same does not go for Vexen: you know he has always hated you," Zexion said as Axel started to fade. Axel smirked, knowing he would wake as a Cyndaquil soon._

_"Bring it on," he said. "I can take him."_

_

* * *

_

"So, those letter Pokemon were the Unown?"

"Yeah! To think that they could be found here!"

Lyra had found her way out of the chamber and ran into a researcher working at the Ruins. She had told him what happened. leaving out the details of her strange dream.

"I don't think I've ever heard of people having strange dreams because of the Unown. I'm not sure if anything _remotely_ strange has happened because of them," the researcher told her. Lyra blinked in confusion.

"Really?" she asked. The researcher seemed to be thinking about something for a minute, and then snapped his fingers.

"Wait, I _do_ remember this one instance where a whole village turned to crystal one day."

"Crystal? How did that happen?" Lyra asked, eyed widening.

"It turned out that the Unown had caused it. They seemed to be granting a little girl's wish."

Zexion thought of that a little bit. Granting a wish? The Ghost Pokemon glanced at Axel.

_"I'm guessing you had something to do with that?"_

_"Not **me**, Zex. For once, I didn't do it."_

The two blinked, coming to a realization. The two glanced at Scout, who sweatdropped. _  
_

_"Well...I know you told me not to worry too much about it, but I **really **wanted to know how you guys seemed to be getting along so well..."_ she said sheepishly. Zexion sighed.

_"So you made a wish?" _he asked. Scout nodded. _  
_

_"...Yeah. I didn't think the Unown would hear me..."_

Zexion and Axel glanced at each other and sighed. At least things would be a bit easier...

_

* * *

_Later that night, Lyra and her Pokemon were at the Pokemon Center, resting for the Gym battle tomorrow.

_Hopefully things will go well, _Lyra thought, blinking as she remembered something.

_"Check the back of your Cyndaquil's neck. You should see a Roman Numeral VIII there."_

She glanced at her sleeping Cyndaquil and peered at the back of his neck, trying not to wake him up. Her eyes widened when she saw the numeral, as Zexion had told her.

"What in the world?" she asked herself, noticing that her Gastly was awake and staring at her. In the dim light, Lyra almost missed the numeral VI on the ghost Pokemon's forehead.

"Well...I'm still not sure what exactly is going on with you and your friends - maybe it really was a dream and the markings are a coincidence of some kind, maybe it really did happen - but I guess we'll just wait and see what happens...Zexion," she said. Zexion nodded, as if to say, _That's all I ask._

Lyra sighed, saying, "Well, get some sleep, okay? We got a big match tomorrow." As she wrapped the blanket around herself and drifted into sleep, one thought lingered in her mind.

_Arceus...what have I gotten myself into** this** time? _


	7. Hand in Hand

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

O.O OMGWTFBBQ! So many reviews! Thank you all so much! I feel so loved. :}

So I got a review asking about the whole Nobody reincarnated thing. I'm calling them by their Nobody names for the sole reason that I haven't played Birth by Sleep yet. Probably a pretty bad reason, but I'm sticking with it. :P Besides, even if they _did_ have hearts now, I still think they should be known as their Nobody names, because in all technicality, their Somebodies are already dead (with the obvious exception of Sora/Roxas and Kairi/Namine).

And again, sorry it took so long. But ugh...Everything they say about college finals is unfortunately true. Take that as a warning for those of you who are in high school and are headed to college.

On with the fic!

* * *

Lyra jumped out of bed the next morning. Today was the day! The day that she would finally face the Violet Gym Leader Feathery...sorry, Faulkner!

"C'mon, guys! Up and at 'em!" she exclaimed, waking her three Pokemon up.

_"Whoozit, what?" _Axel exclamed, falling out of bed and looking around. When he realized where he was, he groaned.

_"I was dreaming about being back in Twilight Town..." _he complained. Zexion shook his head as Lyra put Zexion and Scout into their Pokeballs, leaving Axel.

"C'mon, Ax," she said. "We may not have an Electric type, but I got an idea."

* * *

Lyra bit her lip as she was locked in a staring contest with the Gym Leader of Violet City. Scout looked on from her perch on her Trainer's shoulder, eyeing both the Leader and the platform they were on, which was about fifty feet from the ground.

_Good thing nobody in the team's afraid of heights..._she thought.

"Falkner, I'm here to-"

"Tell me something: what do you think of bird Pokemon?"

Lyra blinked at the Gym Leader's sudden question.

"Well, I guess I like them..." she trailed off.

"Most people say that you can easily dispatch them with a single Electric attack," Falkner scowled.

_Well, it **is** true, _Scout thought as Falkner continued, "I won't allow such insults to these graceful creatures! I'll show you first-hand their magnificence! Pidgey, go!"

Falkner threw his first Pokeball, revealing a Pidgey. Lyra glanced at Scout and nodded. The Normal-type jumped off of Lyra's shoulder and made a battle stance.

"Pidgey, Sand Attack!" Falkner ordered. The bird Pokemon beat its wings mercilessly, aiming at Scout's eyes.

"Quick Attack, Scout!" Lyra yelled. Scout managed to rub some of the sand out of her eyes and charged at the Pidgey. She barely hit the Pidgey's wing.

"Don't give up! Go!" Lyra cheered. Scout used Quick Attack until it hit the Pidgey dead on. The Pidgey landed, swirls in its eyes.

Lyra jumped up and down while Scout cheered. If it was going to be this easy...

"The wind is finally with us! Go, Pidgeotto!" Falkner exclaimed, sending out his strongest Pokemon. The Pidgeotto glared menacingly at Scout. Lyra took out Scout's PokeBall and returned her.

"Go, Zexion!" she yelled, releasing the Ghost Pokemon. He floated into the arena, watching Pidgeotto with wary eyes.

"Use Gust!" Falkner commanded. The bird Pokemon started to beat its wing, causing a small whirlwind to hit Zexion.

"Shake it off and use Hypnosis!" Lyra ordered. Zexion did so and his eyes started to glow a light blue. Pidgeotto's eyes drooped until it fell asleep.

"Good job! Return!" she exclaimed, returning Zexion and throwing another Pokeball. "Go Axel! Use Ember!"

Axel came out and used the Fire move. After the fire move subsided, Pidgeotto woke up.

"Good! Use Roost!" Falkner yelled. Pidgeotto flew high up and settled itself on one of the higher beams of the Gym. It took a small nap. Lyra groaned at this.

_This is gonna be harder than we thought..._she thought as the bird Pokemon flew back into the battlefield, ready to go.

"Use Ember!" she yelled. Axel did so and this time, the attack left a red mark on the Pidgeotto's wing.

_That's convenient, _Axel thought, and from Lyra's facial expression, anybody could tell she was thinking the same thing. Lyra shook off her stupor as she yelled, "Okay! Tackle!"

Axel charged, making sure to hit the burned wing. That resulted in the Pidgeotto fainting.

"Oh my Arceus," Lyra exclaimed. "We did it!"

Axel grinned smugly. If these Gym fights were going to be this easy, they'd beat all of them in no time!

Falkner sighed, returning his Pidgeotto. "I understand...I'll bow out gracefully."

He then sighed, saying, "But for Ho-oh's sake! My dad's cherished Pokemon...But a defeat is a defeat. Here."

As he said this, he handed Lyra her victory money and a badge that looked like the insignia on the wall behind Falkner. As Lyra accepted these prizes,Axel started to feel strange.

It wasn't like he was dying...so what was it? And what's this light at the corner of his eyes?

"Hmm?" Lyra had noticed Axel's lack of activity and turned to see what was wrong. Her eyes widened.

"Axel, you're evolving!" she exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

_Evolving? What? _he thought as the glow intensified, and the started to subside. Lyra started to jump up and down as this happened.

"You're a Quilava now! I'm so proud!" she exclaimed, hugging the fire type. Falkner smiled at the two.

"Congratulations. Anyway, this is the Zephyr Badge," he explained. "You'll be able to use Rock Smash outside of battle with this badge."

_First the shoes to run, then the badges for moves? Humans can't do anything by themselves in this world, can they? _Axel thought as Falkner also gave her a disc.

"That's a Technical Machine. It teaches moves to your Pokemon instantly. However, think about how you use it: a TM breaks after one use. This is TM 51, which teaches Roost, which heals up to half of the user's HP," he explained.

"Thanks a lot," Lyra said. "Before I go, can you tell me where the next Gym is?"

"That would be Azalea Town," he replied. Lyra grinned, nodding.

"Thanks! See ya!" she exclaimed as she exited the gym. As she did so, Axel managed to catch a reflection of himself in the fat man's glasses as said fat man talked to Lyra about beating Falkner.

_Lookin' good, _he thought, smirking.

* * *

When they were outside, Lyra started jumping up and down.

"We actually did it, Axel! We got our first badge! Now only that, but you evolved!" she exclaimed as she enveloped Axel in a tight hug, which the Fire Pokemon tried to struggle out of. He knew he was no longer a cute mouse, but the hugs were just not cool!

_Beepbeepbeep~_

Lyra blinked as she heard her PokeGear ring. She let go of Axel and took it out. The caller ID said 'Professor Elm'. She pressed the button and the screen revealed said professor, who smiled.

**"Hello, Lyra! How is the journey going?"** he asked.

"Pretty good. We just got out of a Gym Battle! We won!" Lyra replied, grinning. Professor Elm grinned back.

"**That's great! Things have been going well over here, too. We've discovered something!"** Lyra raised an eyebrow at this.

"What is it?"

**"Well...I can't really say the details right now,"** The Professor replied, **"but do you remember the Egg you got from Mr. Pokemon? Well, we want you to carry it!"**

Lyra's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

**"We have faith in you, Lyra! My assistant is at the PokeMart in Violet City. That _is_ where you are, right?"** the professor asked. Lyra nodded. **"Good! You can pick up the Egg there! Bye!"**

"Bye!" Lyra replied, hanging up. Axel hopped on Lyra shoulder as she dashed towards the PokeMart.

* * *

Sure enough, Lyra saw one of the assistants hanging around the medicine section of the Mart. When the door opened (with its traditional bell ringng) he turned around and saw Lyra. He grinned.

"Finally! I've been waiting for you," he said. "I trust Professor Elm told you?"

Lyra nodded, saying, "It was about the Egg. I'm curious, what exactly led to this?"

"Here's the Egg," he said, handing the Egg over to the young Trainer. "And to answer your question, Professor Elm got a call not long after you left. Before you ask, I have no idea what they were talking about." Lyra deflated a bit at this.

"After about five or ten minutes, the Professor suddenly exclaimed, 'I can't think of a better person for that than Lyra!' And then he insisted that I get that Egg to you," the assistant finished. "Apparently Pokemon only hatch if a Trainer keeps it with them. Take good care of it!"

And with that, the assistant walked out of the Mart. Lyra and Axel looked at each other, and then the Egg in Lyra's arms.

"I wonder what kind of Pokemon will come out of it?" Lyra asked. Axel wondered that as well, also thinking, _I wonder if it's going to be another member..._

* * *

A few hours later, the team was at a Pokemon Center not too far off from the Tunnel that was supposed to lead to Azalea Town. Lyra sat on the bed, polishing the Egg as Scout, Axel, and Zexion ate some food. Scout stopped eating and hummed thoughtfully.

_"Hey, guys? I just thought of something," _she said. Axel and Zexion looked at her.

_"Oh?" _Zexion asked. _"What might that be?"__  
_

_"It's about this whole Nobody business of yours. If it was all true, and if you guys really **have** been reborn...shouldn't that mean you have emotional hearts now?"_

It took a minute for what Scout said to really sink in. Axel and Zexion's eyes widened after this minute expired.

_"Now that she mentions it, I **was **feeling pretty pissed off at the Professor's lab..." _Axel mused, starting to laugh.

_"Before I met you and Lyra, I always liked to scare some of the tourists that came to Sprout Tower. It always gave me a rush of amusement," _Zexion added, starting to grin in spite of himself.

(Let it be noted that Lyra noticed two of her Pokemon laughing and grinning. As tame as the Gastly usually was, the grin never failed to slightly freak her out. The fact that Axel was laughing didn't help either.)

As Axel laughed and Zexion grinned, they noticed that they actually felt a rush of joy. They really had hearts now! _  
_

Zexion and Axel eventually looked at each other, slightly sweatdropping._  
_

_"...How the hell did we not notice?"_ Axel asked, still grinning.

_"Maybe you were enjoying life a bit too much?" _Scout asked, tilting her head to the side. Axel gave her an incredulous look._  
_

_"Scout may have a point," _Zexion mused before the fire Pokemon could say anything._ "When people are born, they're not aware of what is inside them - namely, hearts - until a few years later, when somebody tells them the source of their pulse or emotions."_

_"..English, please?"_

_"We may have been believing that we were simply remembering what it was like to feel those emotions, like we did in our previous lives," _the Ghost Pokemon said_. "I don't think we would have noticed if it weren't for Scout."_

_"Yeah, I guess you're not so bad after all," _Axel said. Scout blinked at this.

_"...happy to be of service?" _she finally asked, tilting her head to the side. They were interrupted by Lyra yawning.

"Wow, today's been a big day," she said, carefully putting the Egg in her backpack, leaving it open. "I'm going to bed. Night!"

As she said this, she went under the covers, already changed into her pajamas. The three Pokemon looked at each other. Axel climbed into the nearby chair as Scout climbed onto the bed and Zexion went towards the window.

_"..Night guys!" _Scout chirped, curling up next to Lyra. Axel nodded and curled up as well.

The last thing he heard before he drifted to sleep was the steady _bump-bump_..._bump-bump_..._bump-bump_...

_

* * *

_

I hope that helps with the heart thing. :/

Please review! Happy Holidays! :D


	8. Team Rocket

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

So I finally got Birth By Sleep~! Yay! :D

I finished each story and I'm trying to get 100 percent. :D

And a lot of people have asked me if Roxas is going to be in this - and if so, if he's going to be Togepi. Let me tell you now, it's up in the air. Mostly because I'm trying to work out an explanation for Roxas being reincarnated since he merged with Sora and all. So ehh. :/

**HAPPY NEW YEAR! MAY 2011 BE THE BEST YEAR EVER!** It _better_ be the best ever, 'cuz of the whole 2012 thing. Not that I actually believe that (I personally think it's a load of crap), but better safe than sorry.

On with the fic!

* * *

Lyra exited the Pokemon Center, stretching as she did so. She felt the warm sunshine on her face and beamed.

"Looks like a good day, right Axel?" she asked, glancing at the Quilava at her feet. Axel nodded. Lyra took out the Egg as he did so.

"I still can't believe that the Professor entrusted me with this...First Professor Oak with the PokeDex, next Professor Elm with this Egg!" she exclaimed, smiling. The Egg appeared to be warming up already...was it going to hatch soon?

"Oh? That Egg..."

Lyra turned to see a young lady in a colorful kimono. She seemed to be examining the Egg and its holder, looking alternatively between the two.

"I see...So it came from Mr. Pokemon to Professor Elm...and then Professor Elm gave it to you," she observed. Lyra sputtered, eyes widening.

"How did you...?" she started. The mysterious lady silenced her by putting a finger to the young Trainer's lips.

"Please take good care of that Egg - and the Pokemon that hatches out of it - for me. It is _very_ important. Do you understand?" the mysterious lady asked seriously. Lyra nodded. The young woman smiled, withdrawing her hand.

"Good. I am counting on you!" she said cheerfully, dancing away. Lyra and Axel blinked.

_Just who was she?_

* * *

The first thing Lyra was met with when she exited Union Cave was rain. It was lucky that Scout was out with her at the moment: Axel would have hated the rain, and Zexion...well, Zexion never appeared to particularly like anything. The Egg was stashed in her backpack to keep it dry. At least Scout enjoyed it, immediately jumping into the nearest puddle and playing in it.

Lyra sighed, closing her eyes as she let the rain fall her. She enjoyed feeling the rain on her - it reminded her of her two years living in Sootopolis City. She had moved to several cities around Hoenn and eventually settled in Johto, but she never forgot Sootopolis.

Of course, there was that one day when it rained and rained and rained with no end in sight...

She snapped out of her musings by Scout tugging on her leg frantically.

"What is it, Scout?" she asked. Scout ran off and returned pushing a spheric object. Lyra picked it up, examining appeared to be the same weight as the Egg in her backpack. It was slightly warm, so does that mean...

Another Egg?

"Think we should head to the Center?" she asked. Scout nodded as they raced to the Center. On the way, they found two men arguing.

"Who do you think you guys are?" the first demanded. The other, who was dressed in all black, scoffed.

"We're Team Rocket, of course!" he exclaimed.

"That can't be! Team Rocket broke up three years ago!"

"Did we? Well now we're back! And there's going to be hell to pay! We're pursuing Giovanni's dream...So scram!" the man in black yelled, pushing the first man out of his way. As the first man ran off, the Rocket member went into the nearby Well.

As Lyra ran into the Pokemon Center, she thought about what he said. _Team Rocket? They couldn't have formed back, right?_

* * *

"You said you found this Egg near Union Cave?" Nurse Joy asked. Lyra nodded Now that it was in the light, she could see that the Egg was yellow with black at the bottom.

The door opened and in rushed a frantic-looking woman, who smiled upon seeing the Egg.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, rushing towards it and carefully picking it up.

"This is your Egg?" Lyra asked.

"You found it? Thank you so much," she said. "I've been looking for that Egg all day! I searched every inch of the city!"

"Scout here found it near Union Cave," Lyra said, gesturing towards the Sentret on her shoulder. The woman looked confused.

"What was it doing there?" she asked. Lyra shrugged.

"I'm not so sure. My name's Lyra, by the way. I'm a Pokemon Trainer from New Bark Town," the pigtailed girl replied, stretching her arm out.

"I'm June, a Pokemon Breeder from Goldenrod City. Nice to meet you," June replied as she and Lyra shook hands. "What brings you to Azalea Town?"

"I was going to challenge the Gym Leader here."

"That place has been blocked for a while. Something about a group of people claiming to be Team Rocket," June told her. Lyra blinked.

"I saw someone saying that Team Rocket's returned. If that really is true..." Lyra trailed off. Everybody knew about the horrible things Team Rocket did to the unfortunate Pokemon that came into their hands.

"I know what you mean. Hey, now that I think about it, all the Slowpoke have disappeared. I doubt it's connected, but I'm still worried."

"Hmmm..."

Silence drifted in the room as Lyra absorbed this information. She started to get a bad feeling about this whole thing.

"I'm going to ask around," she said as she headed towards the door. "In the meantime, keep an eye on that Egg!"

June nodded and waved as Lyra left.

* * *

"Um, excuse me?" Lyra asked as she entered the house closest to the Center. If she was going to get info about this whole thing, she might as well start here: this was the house of Kurt, a.k.a the PokeBall Craftsman. That name should explain everything.

When she came in, the two occupants in the room sprung into action. The little girl deflated (having looked at the opening door with hope) and the middle-aged man, asked, "I'm Kurt. You want me to make some PokeBalls?"

"My name's Lyra. Well..."

"I'm afraid I can't do that at the moment. You know Team Rocket?" he interuppted. Lyra blinked, saying, "That's what I was about to..."

"Ask you about?" Kurt filled in. When she nodded, he grinned. "Shoot, I was going to do tell you anyway! They're an evil group who uses Pokemon for ulterior motives. Now they're at the well, chopping off the Slowpoke's tails! I'm going to give them a piece of my mind!"

As he said this, he became more angry until finally, he marched towards the door.

"Hold on, Slowpoke! Ol' Kurt is on his way!" he proclaimed as he ran out. Lyra sweatdropped.

"Have the Slowpoke been gone for long?" she asked the little girl, crouching down so they can see eye-to-eye.

"I think they were stolen yesterday. The Slowpoke my dad gave me is gone, too. And now Grandpa's left...I'm so lonely," the little girl said sadly. She then looked at Lyra with hope in her eyes. "You're a Pokemon Trainer, right? Can you get them back for me? Please?"

Lyra nodded without hesitation. She switched Scout out for Zexion and said, "I'll be back before you know it!"

* * *

You may be wondering why she switched out Scout for Zexion. See, she knew there was a Grunt guarding the well and was expecting a fight. When she came to the well, however, it was easily accessible. No guard in sight.

"...strange but convenient. C'mon," she said as she stepped down on the ladder, with Zexion following her. As she climbed down the ladder, they noticed the figure on his back. A closer examination, and...

"...Kurt?" she asked as she got to the bottom of the well.

"Hi, Lyra!" he said cheerfully. Lyra looked around at this.

"Wasn't there a guard outside?"

"I scared him off when I yelled at him. However, I took a tumble down here and landed on my back. I can't move much at the moment," he said, expression changing from cheerful to angry. "Dammit! If I were more fit, I'd show them..."

He glanced at Lyra and the Gastly floating beside her and grinned again.

"Why don't you take them out in my place? I know you can do it!" he exclaimed.

As Lyra nodded, Zexion sighed. Axel was right: in her own way, Lyra was similar to Sora. Both had brunette hair in a ridiculous fashion, were somewhat childish, and were way too nice for their own good.

* * *

When Lyra entered the other room, she was greeted with two sights. Two Team Rocket members were counting Slowpoke Tails as the nearby Slowpoke sat next to them. The Pokemon without their tails had to be one of the saddest sights Lyra had seen so far. The other sight was another Rocket member about to cut off another tail. That sight spurred Lyra into action.

"Hey, stop doing that!" she yelled.

The response was immediate.

"You want us to disobey a direct order from Executive Proton? You're joking, right?" a female Grunt asked skeptically.

"What you're doing is wrong! Can't you see they're hurt?" Lyra responded, gesturing to the Slowpoke. The second Grunt scoffed.

"So? Team Rocket will do anything for money!" he said. The third added, "Now scram! If we listened to goody-two-shoes like you, our rep would be ruined!"

Lyra glanced at Zexion, who nodded as he floated in front of her. The first Grunt sent out an Ekans.

"Bring it!"

* * *

When Lyra defeated the last member, she healed up Axel and Zexion.

_I guess that's all the Grunts. But who's this Executive Proton? _she thought.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Lyra jumped as she looked behind her. She saw another Team Rocket member, only this one had green hair peeking out from under his black cap. He smirked as Lyra said, "Y-You're Proton?"

"That's correct. And just so you know, I happen to be one of the scariest and cruelest Rocket Executives in the business," he bragged. Lyra glared at him.

"You don't scare me," she replied (although she was practically shaking in her shoes - she never did respond well to being spooked.). Proton smirked.

"Rest assured, you will be. I'll show you not to interfere with our business!" he exclaimed, sending out a Zubat. Lyra released Axel, who poised himself for combat.

"Quick Attack, Axel!" she commanded. Axel sped towards the flying type and collided.

"Zubat, Supersonic!" The Zubat responded by emitting a high-pitched squeal. Lyra covered her ears with her hands as Axel's eyes became unfocused.

"Focus and use Ember!" Lyra exclaimed. Axel only managed to hit himself. Groaning, Lyra returned Axel and sent out Scout.

"Tackle, Scout!" she commanded. Scout hit the Zubat, causing it to faint. Gritting his teeth, Proton returned Zubat and sent out a Koffing.

"There's always someone who doesn't agree with us, no matter where we go..." he muttered. "Smog!"

"Don't breathe it in and use Quick Attack!"

It was too late for the 'don't breathe in' part, but Scout did manage to hit Koffing with the attack. Scout started to cough, the smog's poison taking an effect. Lyra returned Scout and sent out Zexion.

"Use Hypnosis, Zexion!" she yelled. Zexion's eyes started to glow a light blue and the Koffing drifted down to the ground, fast asleep.

"Get up!" Proton demanded. A snot bubble began to form from the Koffing's nose (or whatever Koffings have for a nose) in response.

"Use Curse and follow it up with Night Shade!"

Zexion nodded, creating a ghostly nail and driving it into himself. When the nail disappeared, a shadow came over the Koffing. The Curse had taken place.

"Wake up now, and use Smokescreen before it uses Night Shade!" Proton commanded. The Koffing's eyes snapped open and spit out a black smoke.

It did nothing to make the Night Shade miss. When the attack collided, the Koffing fell to the ground, swirls in his eyes.

Proton growled as he returned Koffing.

_I hate to say it, but this kid's good. I didn't see that coming, _he thought, watching as Lyra celebrated with Zexion, who had the same deadpan look on his face.

He crossed his arms. "Yes, Team Rocket did break up three years ago," he said, catching Lyra's attention. "But we did continue our actions underground, where nobody would suspect. An obstacle as small as you...you won't be that much of a problem for our mission."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Lyra asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm suggesting you should be scared for what's about to come!" he replied as he and the Grunts ran off. Lyra sighed as she returned Zexion and sent out Scout to heal her poisoning. First Silver, and now Team Rocket...who else would be the villains?

"Way to go, Lyra! You actually drove them off!"

Lyra jumped to see Kurt examining the Slowpoke. He grinned at her.

"Kurt? What about your back?" she asked, surprised.

"It's feeling a lot better now. C'mon, let's get out of here!" he exclaimed, walking out of the well. Lyra followed, looking back at the Slowpoke.

"What about the Slowpoke?"

"Don't worry! I'm sure that some younger folk will climb down and get them. Now come on!"

* * *

Lyra sighed as she and Kurt climbed out of the Well.

"Here, I'll give you this as a reward!" Kurt said, giving her a red-and-yellow PokeBall. "It's a Fast Ball. Use it to catch anything fast!"

Lyra blinked. "Thanks!" she exclaimed.

"No problem! Now if you'll excuse me, I have some PokeBalls to make! Don't be a stranger!" he exclaimed, walking off.

Scout blinked, seeing a rather familiar sight next to the sign. She jumped off Lyra's shoulder and pushed the object - June's Egg - towards Lyra, who groaned as she picked the black-and-yellow Egg. "You're worrying June way too much, you know that?" she said to the Egg.

The Egg in Lyra's arms twitched. It then cracked.

Lyra blanched. _Holy Arceus! It's going to hatch, and June's nowhere in sight!_

When the eggshell fell to the ground, it revealed a small yellow mouse with red cheeks, a black tail, and black on the tip of its ears. It yawned, grinning as if to say, _"Ah, that was a really good nap!"_

Lyra blinked, observing the baby Pokemon. June got a Pichu egg! She felt a twinge of jealousy: she had always wanted a Pichu for herself, but was never so fortunate.

It was then that Lyra noticed the Pichu's tail. She returned Scout and released Axel in response to this discovery.

"I think you should see this," she said, pointing at the now confused Pichu's tail. Axel blinked as he saw a numeral.

To be more specific, the numeral _XII_. Upon seeing that, Axel felt a rather potent mix of horror and dread forming in his gut.

**_"Larxene?"_** Axel exclaimed. Larxene - the sadist bitch and resident female of the Organization - turned out to be this cute mouse thing! The mouse Pokemon blinked before glaring at the Quilava.

_"Who the hell are you and how do you know my name?"_ she demanded, sparks flying out of her red cheeks. She shocked Lyra and almost did the same to Axel. The Trainer collapsed and dropped Larxene, who landed on her feet, still glaring at Axel. The Quilava gulped. He could _not_ explain all this by himself, not with _Larxene_ on the rampage.

_'I'm gonna need Zexy's help explaining** this** one to her,' _the Fire-type thought, grabbing Zexion's PokeBall from her belt. He pressed the button, sending the Ghost-type out. Zexion blinked at the newly-hatched Pokemon.

_"Hello, Larxene," _he said calmly. Larxene blinked, taking in the numeral VI on Zexion's forehead.

_"Zexion? What the hell are you...?" _she asked, noticing her black paws. She looked at herself the best she could. _"Adding to that, what the hell am **I**?"_

_"We seem to have been reborn into these forms," _Zexion replied.

_"Apparently we're all Pokemon now," _Axel quipped.

Lyra woke up and observed the three Pokemon chat. The Pichu was very animated (in disbelief, maybe?) as Axel and Zexion explained everything (at least, that's what Lyra assumed.).

_Another one of these members? _This keeps getting weirder and weirder... she thought as she walked over to them.

"So, what's this one's name?" Lyra asked, crouching down. Larxene looked at her skeptically as Axel and Zexion looked at each other before noticing yet _another_ vandalized sign that said, "To protect the world from devastation! To unite all peoples within our nation! To denounce the evils of truth and love! To extend our reach to the stars above! Team Rocket! Blast off at the speed of light! Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

_Wordy, but it could work, _Axel thought, sighing as he walked over to the vandalism, this time pointing to individual letters.

"L...A...R...X...E...N...E," Lyra spelled. When Axel was done, she blinked. "Lark-sen?"

Larxene twitched, giving Lyra a slight jolt. She yelped.

"Ow! Um...Lark-seen?" she asked nervously. The Pichu nodded, crossing her arms.

"Um...okay. But I should bring you to June, since you _were_ her Egg..."

* * *

"The Egg hatched into that Pichu?"

Lyra nodded. They were at June's house and Lyra explained everything that had happened, from Team Rocket to finding the Egg (again) and said Egg hatching soon afterwards.

June looked at the little Pichu in the brunette's arms, then at Lyra, and then at Pichu again. She sighed.

"You know something...I found that Egg a while ago," she said. "It was just sitting there, next to Union Cave. I figured I should keep an eye on it until I could find its owner. But I didn't find any, and I went to Goldenrod to ask around!"

"Really?" Lyra asked, tilting her head to the side. That sounded like the case with Axel's egg...

(Hey, in a town as small as New Bark, you'd have to be hiding under a very, _very_ large rock to not know what went on.)

_"So basically, you were abandoned?" _Axel commented, smirking. Larxene glared at him, then gave a sadistic smirk and sent out a Thunderbolt, shocking Axel and Lyra. June sweatdropped at the sight.

"Besides...In a strange way, Pichu seems to like you. My point being I think you should keep her," she said as Lyra and Axel fell to the ground, charred.

"We...Welcome to the team...L-Larxene," Lyra mumbled, swirls in her eyes.

Zexion and Scout stared at the charred Axel.

_"You probably shouldn't have done that," _Scout pointed out.

_"Especially since you know how Larxene is,"_ Zexion added, nodding.

_"...It was worth it."  
_

* * *

Let me ask you something...What do you think of the term PokeMember to describe Axel and the other members?

What did you think?


	9. The Savage Nymph

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

I got a review stating how Pichu generally evolves. I immediately reacted in this fashion: OMG I DID **NOT** THINK ABOUT THAT! XD

In case you didn't realize it, Larxene is going to _suffer_ in this chapter.

And I would like to announce now (although I should have done this a few chapters ago) that I am not taking any suggestions for the PokeMembers. I already planned them out quite a while ago. Please accept my apologies.

On with the fic!

* * *

"Okay, before we face Bugsy, I feel there is a matter that we should address..."

Axel and Zexion blinked up at their Trainers. They were near the sign he had used to spell out Larxene's name.

"Since there are thirteen of you, I would guess that you'd be tired of pointing out letters. So I decided I should write down the names and numbers. That way if we find another member, you two or Larxene could point out his or her name from the list. That sound good?" she asked, taking out a small notebook.

Axel and Zexion glanced at each other.

_"Should we?"_ Axel asked.

_"I believe so. Unless you want to point out a name every time we find someone,"_ Zexion pointed out.

That was true. Axel was tired of pointing out letters to spell the names. Besides, this was the wordiest vandalism he had ever seen! It might be able to work out. He nodded and proceeded to spell out each name, from I to XIII (Lyra added the three she had with her to avoid confusion). When they were done, Lyra had a list that looked something like this:

_Organization XIII_

_Xemnas - I (Superior of the In-Between)_

_Xigbar - II (Freeshooter)_

_Xaldin - III (Whirlwind Lancer)_

_Vexen - IV (Chilly Academic)_

_Lexaeus - V (Silent Hero)_

_Zexion - VI (Cloaked Schemer)_

_Saix - VII (Luna Diviner)_

_Axel - VIII (Flurry of Dancing Flames)**  
**_

_Demyx - IX (Melodious Nocturne)_

_Luxord - X (Gambler of Fate)_

_Marluxia - XI (Graceful Assassin)_

_Larxene - XII (Savage Nymph)_

_Roxas - XIII (Key of Destiny)__  
_

Lyra blinked at this list. She glanced at Axel, then back at the list. Finally she said, "What is it with your group and cool names?"

Axel shrugged_, _turning towards Zexion.

_"Why did you make me spell out the titles?" _he asked Zexion.

_"They could be a clue as to what kind of Pokemon each member's been reborn in. You're the Flurry of Dancing Flames, so you're a Fire Pokemon. Larxene's the Savage Nymph, and she uses lightning, so she's a Pichu. Understand now?"_ Zexion replied.

_"What about Roxas and Mansex? What do you think they could be reborn as?"_

_"Psychic or Fighting types, perhaps," _Zexion replied as Lyra returned the two PokeMembers. She released Larxene, who glared at her. Lyra sighed.

"Okay, I know you don't like me very well," she said. "But like it or not, I'm the only one who knows of your little situation,_ Number XII_."

Larxene raised an eyebrow at this. Axel and Zexion had told her about the Replica Room bit, but it was still unsettling to be called by her number.

"My point is if we're going to get along, we need to set some ground rules..."

Larxene let sparks loose. Lyra sweatdropped.

"First rule...no shocking unless you're really, really annoyed!" Lyra said, adding the last part quickly (because hey, even though she had only met Larxene, but she knew that this Savage Nymph title really did suit her.). Larxene sent a shock her way, causing Lyra to sigh. And try another tactic.

"Oh, well. I was just about to start training you," she said, almost carelessly. Larxene's ears twitched at this, eyebrows raising. Lyra internally smirked. _Bingo._

"Oh, you don't know?" Lyra asked, seeing Larxene's reaction. "I'm a Pokemon Trainer, meaning that I have my Pokemon battle. But I can't have them battle if I can't be friends with them. And besides, if you want to evolve into a Pikachu, you'll have to be friends with me!"

Larxene seethed at this. Of course she wanted power, and to potentially evolve into a Pikachu (and be rid of this cute form forever), but this girl...she was more annoying than Namine_ and_ Sora put together! Whoever put her in this form_ definitely_ did it for shits and giggles.

Gritting her teeth, Larxene nodded. If Lyra was able to get Zexion and Axel to get along, maybe this won't be so bad.

"Now let's get going!" she said cheerfully.

* * *

"It can't be that bad, Larxene. Besides, Mom's saving my money. If we want more money for Potions, we have no choice."

_I take it back...being with this little girl is going to be a nightmare, _Larxene thought irritably.

What was the reasoning behind the previous utterance/thought, you ask?

After training and getting acquainted with Larxene (and going through several shocks to do so), Lyra had discovered that they were clean out of Potions. When she attempted to get more, she realized that she was also out of money.

That meant that they had to go the the Bank of Lyra's Psychotic Mother in order to get the Potions (yeah, Axel told her what happened when he was a Cyndaquil).

**_Fan-fucking-tastic._**

The two were currently between Cherrygrove City and New Bark Town.

_Let's just get this over with, okay?_ Larxene thought, growling. Lyra sighed. When Larxene was mad, she could _not_ be cheered up. At least, that's what Lyra knew.

"Hey, Lyra!"

Lyra blinked and turned around, seeing Ethan waving enthusiastically at her.

"Hi, Ethan! You're heading to New Bark, too?" she asked as he ran towards her, with Marill faithfully trotting behind him.

"Yep!" he said when he noticed the Pichu on her shoudler glaring at him. He blinked.

"I have two questions: One, how'd you get a Pichu? Two, why's he glaring?" he asked. Larxene twitched before shocking Ethan.

"Um, first, Larxene's a girl Pichu. A very short-tempered girl Pichu," she said as Ethan fell to the ground. "Secondly, I found her as an Egg in Azalea Town. Want to walk together? I'll tell you all the details."

Ethan nodded as they started to walk again.

"So, the Egg wasn't even June's?" Ethan asked when she was done. Lyra nodded.

"She found it in Union Cave and didn't find an owner. Kinda reminds me of Axel's story," Lyra replied, fingering the PokeBall containing her aforementioned Quilava.

"Axel's your Cyndaquil, right?" Ethan asked. When Lyra nodded, she replied, "He's a Quilava now."

"Oh, cool! And I was about to say, how do you come up with your Pokemon nicknames? I mean, Axel, Larxene, and what was the other one, Zexion? They sound pretty cool," Ethan asked. Lyra sweatdropped.

"I don't think you'd believe me if I told you the truth," she said.

That was when Lyra felt twitching coming from her backpack.

"Oh?" she asked, opening it. It was the Egg! She held it up and it twitched mercilessly in her hands. Eventually the top part cracked open and hands and feet appeared on the remains. A spiky head seemed to open itself through the top part of the Egg. The little Pokemon yawned.

Lyra squealed. "A Togepi! You're so cute!" she exclaimed, pulling the baby Pokemon into a tight hug. The Pokemon chirped its name happily.

"Toge! Togepi!"

"So that's what was in the Egg!" Ethan exclaimed. "Congrats, Lyra!"

Larxene sighed. There was no numeral on this one. At the moment, she had no idea whether this was good or bad, seeing as this one was the only non-member (besides Scout) that she had to meet in this ridiculous world...

The little Pokemon turned its sights towards Larxene. It grinned.

_"Big Sister!"_

...It's official: this was bad. Very, _very_ bad. **(1)**

* * *

"The Egg hatched."

Professor Elm blinked at the Trainer that had just entered the Lab. Following her was a Pichu, seeming to be in a rather foul mood. Following the Pichu was a Togepi, who was chasing the Pichu like a child would chase a parent or a beloved sibling.

Elm picked up the Pichu and examined her. He noted the numeral XII on her tail.

"It hatched into this Pichu?" he asked. Larxene twitched and shocked the Professor, who dropped her. She landed on her feet and continued to avoid the enthusiastic Togepi.

Lyra sweatdropped at this. "Um, no," she said. "I found Larxene as an Egg in Azalea Town. Hoshi hatched from the Egg you gave me."

Recovering from the shock, Elm blinked and picked up the Togepi. Hoshi stared back as Elm examined him.

"Well, it doesn't seem to be a Pokemon found in Johto..." he said, examining the little Pokemon. He put the Togepi back into Lyra arms as she returned Larxene.

"Lyra, I couldn't help but notice the numeral on your Pichu's tail," Elm told Lyra. "You know, your Quilava - Axel, was it? - has a numeral on his neck, too."

"I know. I noticed a while ago. My Gastly has one too. On his forehead," she said, returning Hoshi. She released Zexion, who looked around the lab with mild interest. Elm nodded, taking note of the numeral VI on his forehead.

"You have any idea why?" Lyra asked Professor Elm. Of course she knew the _real_ reason, but she was curious as to what Elm thought about this.

"Not really sure. I'm thinking this means that Pokemon could get birthmarks," Elm said, shrugging. "It's not a huge discovery, but it is an interesting one."

He fished something out of his pocket and handed it to Lyra. It was a small gray pebble. "This is a reward for showing me Hoshi. It's an Everstone, an item that can be held by your Pokemon to stop evolution. You might want to use that with your Pichu, because she probably wants to be a Pikachu."

"Don't think that didn't cross my mind," she mumbled, pocketing the small item. Elm chuckled in amusement.

"I'm sure you'll be fine with that Pichu. Axel was a nightmare when he was in the lab, you know." he said. Lyra grinned. "Thanks!" she said, walking out of the lab.

"I should get going. I mean, I do need money from my mom..." she said, returning Zexion and releasing Larxene.

* * *

_If Axel nearly suffocated because of that...that...**person**, I'm surprised I didn't die three times! _Larxene thought, eye twitching as Lyra walked out of her house. Said Pichu was sitting on Lyra's ridiculous hat (which, admittedly, was pretty comfy), recovering from the mother of lovers of all things cute.

"Don't feel bad, Larx," Lyra said, sensing her Pokemon's discomfort/anger. "At least Axel wasn't there to see that, right? You two _do_ seem to pick on each other a lot..."

It was true: since Axel's 'abandonment' remark, the two had been bickering/fighting whenever the two were out at the same time.

Larxene shrugged, letting out a noise expressing consent. Lyra had a point. Axel would never let her live that down.

"It's starting to get dark, so we should head to the Pokemon Center when we reach Violet City. That sound good?" Lyra asked.

_Anything for a little rest at this point, _Larxene thought, nodding.

* * *

_"Big Sister! Come play with me!"_ Hoshi exclaimed, hopping up and down in front of the Pichu. They were in the room that Lyra had gotten for the night. Larxene twitched.

_"I won't shock you because Pigtails over there asked me not to..."_ Larxene mumbled. _"But I am NOT your big sister!"_

_"Yes you are, silly!"_ Hoshi giggled. _"Ly-wa is mommy, and Ink-head is daddy...so you're Big Sister!"_

Ink-head must have been the idiot who thought Larxene was a boy...

_"Still...sorry, kid. I'm don't exactly fit the mold of 'ideal older sibling'. I can't play with you,"_ she said, about ready to sleep.

_"Please?"_

_"No."_

_"Pleeeease?"_

Hoshi was tearing up at this point, about ready to cry. Larxene sweatdropped, feeling something weird knot up at the pit of her stomach. Was the hell was it? Guilt? She hadn't felt that since she was Relena (who was basically a juvenile punk with *insert a shudder at this thought* a soft heart).

_"Well...what I mean is..." _she started. Hoshi looked up at her in hope. Larxene sighed.

_"I can't now. I have a big headache,"_ she finally said, cursing herself for going soft.

_"All right. So tomorrow?"_

Larxene sighed again, nodding. Hoshi squealed in excitement and glomped Larxene, who stiffened at the contact. She hadn't received a hug in God knows how long. WHen she was a Nobody, such emotion was useless. But now that she actually had a heart...

_"I love you, Big Sister."_

Maybe this whole reborn thing wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

Author Notes:

**(1)** I am sooo sorry! I know you expected Roxas to be Togepi, but fear not! He is definitely going to be in this. As to what Pokemon, though...you're going to have to wait a few chapters. Trust me, there's a Pokemon in HGSS that fits him perfectly (at least, I think it does), personality wise.

I honestly was planning on Roxas to be Togepi, too. But the Hoshi plot bunny was jumping up and down in my mind, screaming, "No! No! Write me instead! I'm gonna cry!" So I wrote it out to shut it up and it developed so quickly! Curse you, you plan-uprooting plot bunny, you! D:

* * *

Soooo...

No flamey please?


	10. Vim and Vigor

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

In response to a review that asked about Xigbar and Luxord ("Time and Space aren't types"): No they're not. But Xigbar and Luxord aren't Palkia and Dialga. The challenging part of this is that I'm going for HGSS authenticity. Meaning the PokeMembers are going to be Pokemon found in HGSS. Another challenging part part is that I'm trying not to have any Orgy members be a Legendary Pokemon. A few will be pretty rare Pokemon, but no Legendaries. I have a rather funny idea for Xigbar (I talked it over with a friend and we couldn't stop laughing.), but I was stuck on Luxord for a while cause of this. :/

On with the fic!

* * *

The Azalea Gym was Axel's favorite. Granted, they had only been to two Gyms thus far, but this particular Gym would be Axel's favorite for quite a while.

Why, you may ask?

The place was infested - no pun intended - with Bug Pokemon.

Bug Pokemon that are _very_ vulnerable to Axel's Fire attacks.

Needless to say, he had a field day with the Rookies.

Then they came up to the giant tree in the back of the room (having traversed through the rather confusing spider web ladder puzzle). Underneath this tree was Bugsy, the rather young and feminine looking Gym Leader. He grinned at Lyra.

"Hi! I'm Bugsy!" he greeted enthusiastically.

"I'm Lyra," the pigtailed girl introduced. She looked around. "So...Bug types, huh?"

"Yep!" Bugsy replied, nodding. "Those are my favorites. I never lose when it comes to Bug types! I'm practically the authority on Bug-types!" Bugsy unclipped a PokeBall from his belt and tossed it.

"I'll show you what I mean! Go, Scyther!" When the light subsided, a rather menacing looking Scyther got into a battle position.

"Axel, I got an idea. Return," Lyra said to Axel, returning the Quilava. "Go, Larxene! Use Thunder Wave!"

When Larxene was released, she sent a shock towards Scyther. It hit, paralyzing the Bug Type.

"Scyther, use U-Turn!"

Scyther charged towards the Pichu, knocking her back. Lyra managed to catch her and noticed that Larxene had been considerably weakened in that attack. She used a Potion as Scyther returned to Bugsy.

"Go, Kakuna!" Bugsy yelled, releasing a yellow cocoon. It stoically observed the battle.

"Return," Lyra said, returning Larxene. "Go, Scout!"

Scout practically jumped out of her PokeBall and landed on her feet, eager for a fight.

"Quick Attack, Scout!"

"Poison Sting!"

Scout's attack collided with the Kakuna, knocking it back. Kakuna formed a poisonous barb and aimed it towards Scout. Luckily it didn't poison Scout.

"Keep going! Quick Attack!" Lyra yelled. Scout's attack collided again, knocking out the Kakuna.

Lyra pumped a fist as Scout chirped happily. Then a familiar light started to surround Scout, and when it subsided...

"You've evolved!" Lyra exclaimed happily. Scout had evolved into Furret! Bugsy grinned.

"Congrats! But that's not going to help," he said, returning Kakuna. "Go, Scyther! Try to use Focus Energy!"

Scyther came out, still paralyzed. Despite its paralysis, Scyther narrowed its eyes at Scout and got ready to attack.

"Quick Attack!" they commanded in unison.

Scyther moved quickly, striking Scout. Scout landed in Lyra's arms, swirls in her eyes.

"Return, Scout," Lyra said dejectedly, returning Scout and releasing Axel. Axel's smirk towards Scyther was almost feral.

"Use Flame Wheel!" Lyra yelled.

"Scyther, U-Turn!"

Scyther couldn't move as a result of its paralysis. The fire attack hit Scyther, knocking it back a few feet. It struggled to get up, and then collapsed, swirls in its eyes.

"Bug Pokemon can be tough! Even though this is my last Pokemon...Go Metapod!"

Axel nearly laughed. What was the point of having two cocoon Pokemon and only one powerhouse? Lyra seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Use Ember!"

Ember quickly made mincemeat of Metapod. Bugsy groaned, returning Metapod.

"Aww...I guess that's the end of it..." he said, walking towards Lyra. "You're good, though. You could be an expert yourself!"

Lyra scratched the back of her head. "I don't know about that..." she said sheepishly.

"I'll admit my research's not done. Here's your Badge!" Bugsy said, giving Lyra a badge that looked somewhat like a ladybug.

"This allows you to use Cut outside of battle. Also, traded Pokemon will be easier to train," he explained, causing Lyra to raise an eyebrow.

"How does that particular element of Badge collecting work?"

"...I don't know. That's another thing someone has to research. Also, take this!" Bugsy handed her a TM. "That's TM 89, which teaches U-Turn. You saw how it works. Useful, isn't it?"

Lyra nodded. "Seems so! See ya!" she replied, leaving the Gym.

* * *

Lyra stepped out of the Pokemon Center, with a spring in her step and a new Badge in her hand.

"That was a peice of cake. Wouldn't you say?" Lyra asked, questioning the Quilava perched on her shoulder. Axel nodded, a bit disappointed that he couldn't relive the total pwnage that was him in Azalea Gym.

_I don't see how today could get any better, _he thought, grinning to himself.

"Hey! Yeah, you with the pigtails!"

Lyra jumped and turned to see Silver marching towards her.

_It can't get any better, but it can only get worse, _Axel thought.

"Tell me something," the redhead demanded, standing in front of Lyra. "Is it true that Team Rocket's returned?"

Lyra blinked. Why would Silver care? Did he want to join Team Rocket or something? She slowly nodded.

"They were here, too," she added. "But if you want to join them, tough tamales. I drove them off." Silver burst into laughter at this.

"Me? Join those weaklings? As if! And you should stop lying about stuff like you beating them," he said. He stopped when he noticed Lyra and Axel glaring at him. He blinked.

"You're serious," he stated. When Lyra nodded, he smirked and took a PokeBall from his belt. "Let's see how good you are! Go, Phantom!"

He tossed the PokeBall to reveal a Gastly. The Ghost Pokemon smiled menacingly at the two, floating in front of Silver. Lyra glanced at Axel, who nodded, jumping in front of Lyra.

"Use Flame Wheel, Axel!" she shouted.

"Mean Look!"

After Axel's attack hit the Gastly, the Ghost Pokemon glared at the PokeMember. Axel felt shivers going down his spine at this.

_There goes any notion of training Hoshi in this fight..._Lyra thought, biting her lip. "Use Smokescreen and then Ember!" she yelled.

"Lick that stupid Quilava, Phantom!"

Axel formed a cloud of smoke that surrounded him and the Gastly. Neither could see what went on between the Pokemon, but when the smoke cleared, Axel was left standing (twitching, but still standing), and the Gastly had swirly eyes.

"Good job, Axel!" Lyra said, getting a Paralyz Heal to heal Axel's apparent paralysis. Silver huffed, returning his Gastly.

"I'll admit you have nerve, but it's not good enough! Go, Jaws!" Silver yelled, tossing the PokeBall and revealing a rather menacing looking Croconaw.

_"You again?" _Axel asked, recognizing him as the stolen Totodile.

_"Who'd you expect? Lugia?"_ Jaws replied, throwing Axel a toothy grin. _"I see you've evolved since last time. Congrats!"_

_"Uh...thanks. You too," _Axel said, getting ready to fight. Lyra sighed, seeing that if she switched Axel now, he wouldn't be too happy: he was Croconaw's rival just as much as she was Silver's rival.

"Quick Attack, Axel!" Lyra ordered.

"Scary Face!" Silver commanded.

Jaws threw a glare at Axel, who felt a little slower as a result of the attack.

"Follow it up with Water Gun!" Silver yelled. The attack struck home, knocking Axel back a few feet. He tried to stand until he collapsed, swirls replacing his eyes.

Lyra swallowed. This was nerve-wracking. Outside of a Gym Battle she'd never had her Pokemon faint before. She got Axel's PokeBall from her belt.

"Great job, Axel. You deserve a good rest. Return!" she said to Axel as she returned him and switched PokeBalls. "Go, Larxene!"

Larxene came out of her PokeBall, smirking deviously at the Water-type before her.

Silver blinked. How in the name of Arceus did this little girl manage to get a Pichu?

"Use Thundershock!" Lyra told the Pichu. Larxene did so, shocking the Croconaw and the attack left sparks flying all around its body.

"Good job!" Lyra told Larxene, whose smirk only turned wider. Judging from the way Silver's scowl grew as well, he didn't have any Paralyz Heals.

"Thundershock again!"

"Bite!"

Jaws lunged towards the Pichu, who dodged and shocked the Croconaw again. That knocked the Water-type out.

Gritting his teeth, Silver returned Jaws and yelled, "Go, Lestat! Use Supersonic!"

A Zubat appeared, flitting in front of Larxene and emitting the high-pitched squeal.

"Larxene, return!" Lyra yelled, returning the Electric Type. "Go, Zexion!"

Zexion appeared from the PokeBall, observing the scene before him before turning to Lyra. He gave her a look that said, "Are you out of your mind?"

"Just trust me," Lyra whispered as Silver started to laugh.

"Lestat, Bite!" The Zubat lunged towards Zexion.

"Use Hypnoss!"

Zexion's eyes started to glow a pale blue as he hummed a note (you have to get a blind Pokemon to sleep _somehow_.) The tactic worked, and the Zubat was out like a light.

"Good! Now use Curse and return!"

When the curse took place, Lyra returned Zexion and released Larxene again. Free from any confusion, she smirked at the sleeping Zubat.

"Thundershock!"

LArxene shocked the Zubat, who woke up in time for the curse to take effect. It apparently wiped out the rest of its stamina, because the Zubat floated to the ground and fainted.

Seeing this, Silver huffed.

"Useless Pokemon..." he muttered, returning Lestat. He walked over to Lyra and handed her victory money. "Listen, you only won because my Pokemon were weak."

"Why would you say that?" Lyra demanded. "It's not right to treat a Pokemon the way you do. No Pokemon is stronger than any other! Why don't you understand that?"

"The weak are annoying. Pokemon, Trainers, it doesn't matter. They just shouldn't be around," he said, hands forming into fists as he cast his glance to the ground. Lyra watched Silver's expression change from slight annoyance to anger and...sadness?

"Especially that stupid Team Rocket! They think they're high and mighty when they're in a group, but pick them off one by one and they're as weak as weak can get! I hate them!" he yelled. A small crowd formed where they were (the crowd had formed since the start of the battle.). Lyra sweatdropped. How did Team Rocket get into this conversation? Then she saw how the members of the crowd started to talk to each other.

_"Is he okay?"_

_"Maybe he lost a family member to those thugs."_

_"The poor guy. Someone should talk to him."_

Lyra gulped. She knew she detested Silver, and that he absolutely despised her (he made that clear enough at their first fight), but to see him so...emotional was a little unnerving. It wasn't the calm, stoic Silver she knew.

"Uh, Silver? Are you okay?" Lyra asked, putting a hand on his arm in an attempt at comfort. Silver recoiled from her like he had been burnt. He immediately regained his composure.

"Anyway...just stay out of my way, Pigtails," he said, causing Larxene to twitch.

_Listen, redhead! Nobody can call her that except for me! _she thought, sending warning sparks.

Silver regarded the apparently ticked off Pichu and continued, "If you do get in my way...I'll show no mercy."

He walked into Illex Forest. Lyra sighed.

_Just when things couldn't get any more complicated...Why would someone as ruthless as Silver despise Team Rocket? _she thought. She really did think Silver would be perfect Rocket material. Cold, ruthless...

"Well, I gotta heal you guys up," she said to Larxene as she walked towards the Pokemon Center. "Then we go into Ilex Forest."

* * *

The Ilex Forest was very...woody, for lack of a better term. Axel observed the forest as he followed Lyra.

The first thing Lyra heard when she walked into the forest was someone saying, "Oh, no...My boss is gonna kill me!"

She saw that the source of the voice was a bespectacled boy, looking worriedly at the forest up ahead. He took no notice of Lyra, so she stepped up and tapped his shoulder.

"AHH! I'M SORRY!" he shrieked, falling to the ground. Axel laughed as Lyra sweatdropped.

"Um...I'm not your boss. Is something wrong?" she asked. The boy looked up at her and sighed.

"Sorry about that. It's just...My boss's Farfetch'd ran away from me. They cut the trees for him to make Charcoal...Can you please get them for me? They have very good hearing, so you have to sneak up on them," he begged. Lyra nodded.

"Sure. They went that way, right? By the way, I'm Lyra," she said, pointing to the path ahead. The boy nodded, shaking Lyra's hand enthusiastically.

"I'm Colin! And there's two of the Farfetch'd. Good luck!" he said. As Lyra walked down that path, Axel sighed. If he didn't know any better, he'd think that Lyra would be Sora's long-lost twin sister.

* * *

"I...finally...got them," Lyra said, out of breath. It had taken quite a lot of time (and a lot of running) for her and Axel to catch the little bastards.

"Thank you so so much!" Colin said, grinning. "I don't have a Badge, so they don't respect me as much as they do..."

Colin was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. They turned to see a rather gruff-looking man, whom the Farfetch'd practically swarmed.

"So, you found our Farfetch'd, kid?" he addressed Lyra. "Thanks a lot! I'm Akira, also known as the Charcoal Guy. Without these two, we wouldn't be able to make charcoal. Now, how to thank you...?"

Akira snapped his fingers and took two things out of his pocket. These two objects were a disc and a piece of charcoal.

"This item's HM01, which teaches Cut," he said, handing the HM to Lyra. He held up the Charcoal, saying, "And this Charcoal increases the power of your Pokemon's Fire attacks. You might want to let your Quilava hold that."

With the way Axel's eyes sparkled, one would think Christmas had come early. Lyra grinned.

"I think he'd like that too," she replied, handing the Charcoal to Axel, who eagerly accepted it.

"Thanks again," Akira said as he, Colin, and the Farfetch'd left. Lyra returned Axel and released Scout.

"I have a new move to teach you, Scout..."

* * *

"I think I see the exit!" Lyra exclaimed, running towards the source of the light she had seen. Hoshi was in her arms, eagerly chirping his name.

"Kimono Girl, Kimono Girl, lost and alone. Poor girl in the dark Ilex Forest..."

Lyra blinked. A few feet away was another girl in a Kimono...Or was it the same one as before? If she was distressed, she showed no sign of it. She seemed perfectly calm.

"Hey, I remember you from the Pokemon Center near Union Cave!" she blurted. The Kimono Girl took notice of Lyra and the Togepi in her arms.

"I beg your pardon? Me near Union Cave? You must have been imagining things," she said, almost teasingly. When Lyra started to protest, the strange girl continued, "But that is of no importance now. Can you show me how to get out of this forest?"

Lyra nodded, looking around. The girl saw that and asked, "Unless...you are lost as well?"

Hoshi jumped out of Lyra's arms. Ignoring her surprised yelp, Hoshi walked up and pointed to the building up ahead. The kimono-clad girl smiled. She walked towards the Togepi and crouched, petting him on the head.

"You're such a smart little Pokemon!" she praised. Hoshi let out a chirp of happiness. The girl stood up and face Lyra. She bowed, saying, "I'll be seeing you!"

As the girl danced away, Lyra blinked.

"That makes two...I wonder who they are?" she asked, picking up Hoshi and walking out of the forest.

_Adding to that question...what's their connection to Hoshi? _she thought, glancing at the baby Pokemon in her arms. _The first girl told me to take care of whatever comes out of the Egg...I wonder why?_

* * *

...okay, I lied. AGAIN.

In case you haven't seen/voted on it, I posted a poll about which battle I should write out, Bugsy's or Silver's. Then somebody voted for Bugsy's fight and I had already written Silver's fight just for the hell of it (which I ended up liking a lot)...and so my muse smacked me upside the head and shouted, "Eff your lack of self-confidence! Write out both!" I nearly died.

Soooo...

No flamey please?


	11. Laughter and Merriment

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

I think this is my longest chapter yet. Well, it _is _Goldenrod, so expect another chapter full of Goldenrod goodness coming up after this one.

On with the fic!

* * *

When Lyra came into the small adjunct building, she was immediately noticed by the lady in the desk.

"Excuse me!" she said. Lyra walked over to her.

"Yes?"

"You're a Trainer, right? Can you take this off of my hands for me?" the lady asked, giving Lyra a TM. "It's TM 12, which teaches Taunt. Maybe you can use it for the Goldenrod Gym: I hear Whitney has a habit of using Attract if her opponent's Pokemon is a boy."

Lyra winced. Attract can be a nasty move, and she did not want that to happen, especially since most of her Pokemon were males. She took it, making a mental note to teach it to Larxene.

"Thank you!" she said to the lady. The Butterfree next to her chirped as she and her Trainer waved back.

When Lyra exited the building, she beamed at the sunlight hitting her face. It was so warm...

"Finally!" she exclaimed, stretching. Hoshi chirped in happiness from his perch on Lyra's hat. Lyra grinned, grabbing Hoshi and cradling it. "Now, onto Goldenrod City!"

* * *

After running into several Trainers, Lyra noticed a small building not too far from Goldenrod. An elderly man sat next to the sign, which said, "Daycare Center - A Little Slice of Security!"

Lyra blinked. Ethan had mentioned that his grandparents lived near Goldenrod. So maybe...

"Hey, Grandpa!"

_Speak of the devil, _Lyra thought, as Ethan ran towards the old man, with Chikorita trailing after him.

"Thanks for raising Chikorita for me! She's as healthy as can be!" he exclaimed, grinning. Chikorita chirped in agreement. His grandfather grinned back.

"You're looking healthy yourself, my boy!" he exclaimed. Ethan scratched the back of his head when he noticed Lyra.

"Oh, hey Lyra!" he exclaimed, waving her over. Lyra walked over as Ethan said, "Let me introduce you! Grandpa, this is Lyra. You know, from New Bark? She's a Trainer!"

Ethan then observed the Togepi in her arms, who chirped over and over in happiness.

"She does seem to be getting better at raising Pokemon," he said. Five seconds later, he blushed and turned to his grandfather. "But not as good as you, Grandpa!"

Grandpa chuckled. Ethan coughed, turning towards Lyra.

"Anyway...you have to meet my grandma! Just follow me!" he said, going inside. Lyra did so, but before she went inside, she addressed Ethan's grandfather, saying, "It's nice to meet you!"

"It's my pleasure!" Grandpa replied as Lyra walked into the building.

"So that's the infamous Lyra," he mused, chuckling again.

* * *

"Hey, Grandma!" Ethan called as the two friends went inside. "Let me introduce my friend! This is Lyra!"

The elderly lady behind the counter looked at the two and chuckled in amusement. "So this is your girl...friend. I see."

Both Ethan and Lyra sputtered and blushed at this. Hoshi chirped in happiness (considering that he considered Lyra and Ethan his actual mommy and daddy).

"What? G-Grandma! No! She just happens to live nearby!" he exclaimed. Grandma laughed again.

"I know, I know," she said, still smiling. "The fact remains: since you brought her here, you must be pretty sure of her talent as a Trainer."

"Well..." he trailed off when Grandma cut him off, this time addressing Lyra.

"Why don't you stay for lunch, Lyra? You just came out Ilex Forest, right? Aren't you and your Pokemon tired?" she asked.

"Grandma!" Ethan exclaimed. Whether from happiness or embarrassment, none of them knew.

Lyra put her hands up, sweatdropping.

"Um, that's okay. You don't have to..." she started when her stomach gave a loud growl. She blushed, glancing at Hoshi. The baby Pokemon was giving her puppy eyes. She sighed.

"Well, my Pokemon do need a little rest," she mused. Grandma nodded.

"Wonderful!"

* * *

Lyra and Ethan let out their Pokemon as Ethan's grandparents (whom we shall call Mark and Peggy) made them all sorts of sandwiches. Right now they were sitting at a picnic table in what could be called the backyard. The Pokemon were munching happily on their food.

"These are really good!" Lyra exclaimed. Peggy smiled.

"I'm glad you like them," she said. "If you want, we can make extras for you to take on your journey."

"That'd be great!" Lyra chirped.

Ethan smiled at the scene. He knew Lyra and his grandparents would get along. Grandpa always told Ethan that Grandma was a lot like Lyra when they were little. The two were childhood friends...He blushed a bit thinking that. Whatever Grandma and Grandpa were implying, it was ridiculous! Ethan didn't think of Lyra that way...right? He blinked as he remembered something.

"Hey, Grandma? What was it you called me over here for?" he asked. Peggy thought about it until she nodded.

"Oh, yes. You know how your grandfather and I find Eggs here from time to time?" Ethan nodded.

_"They find Eggs here? In that case, I hope Lyra doesn't stick me in here with you," _Axel quipped to Larxene, who laughed.

_"As if we'd even do it! I **do** have standards, you know," _she said.

_"You? **Standards**?"_

_"Yes. I happen to like it when someone treats me like a queen. Giving me chocolates, singing me songs..."  
_

_"Basically, you want a masochist who'll sing you something telling you, 'I want you to hurt me'?" _

_"WHY YOU LITTLE-!" _

Larxene started to chase Axel around. The Fire-type, along with Hoshi and Scout were laughing hysterically. Even Zexion was chuckling. Lyra, Ethan, his Pokemon, and the elderly couple looked at the two PokeMembers chasing one another.

"Are those two always like that?" Ethan asked. Lyra nodded.

"Larxene's temper plus Axel's mischeif equals apocalypse," she replied. Peggy sweatdropped.

"Anyway," she continued, "we have two Eggs here that their Trainers didn't want. It's actually convenient that Lyra's here: why don't you two take one each?"

At this, Mark took out two Eggs. One was blue with black details, and the other was blue-gray. Ethan grinned.

"Sounds like a sweet deal! What do you say, Lyra?" he asked. Lyra nodded, all the while thinking, _More abandoned Eggs...I wonder if one or both are PokeMembers?_

"Cool! I'll let you pick first, Lyra!" Ethan exclaimed, grinning. Lyra observed the two Eggs. After about a minute she tenderly grabbed the blue-and-black Egg.

"I pick this one," she said. Ethan took the gray Egg.

"I'll take this one, then!" he exclaimed. Mark nodded.

"Let us know when they hatch, all right?" he asked. "Lyra, I'll give you both our numbers!"

Lyra nodded, taking out her PokeGear. When Mark was gone programming the numbers, Ethan took out his PokeGear as well.

"Oh, yeah! Lyra, let's swap numbers, too!" Ethan said. Lyra nodded as the two programmed each other's numbers. When he heard his grandparents chuckling, Ethan sighed.

"Grandma, Grandpa...don't you say a word. We're both Trainers, this is to be expected. That is _it_," he said, returning his Marill and running out of the backyard with Chikorita and the Egg in tow.

"Ethan, be careful with that Egg!" Lyra exclaimed. She went to follow him, but stopped, turning towards Peggy and Mark.

"Thanks for the sandwiches!" she exclaimed, returning all of her Pokemon save for Axel and running out.

Peggy and Mark glanced at each other in amusement.

"A dollar on he's going to ask her out."

"Make it ten."

* * *

When Lyra walked into the Goldenrod Pokemon Center, she sighed.

"That was kinda awkward, Axel," she said, thinking back to Peggy's near-accusation of Lyra being Ethan's girlfriend.

_'What, Ethan's granny thinking you were his girlfriend?' _he thought. Hoshi was a bit of a blabbermouth - Axel had no idea how Larxene puts up with him.

"I mean, Ethan's my best friend!" she exclaimed, sitting on a nearby cushion. "So naturally-"

_Beepbeepbeepbeep~_

Lyra blinked, taking out her PokeGear. It was Professor Elm.

_Again? _she thought. "Hi, Professor Elm!"

**"Hello, Lyra! I know this is out of the blue, but I'm curious: how many Pokemon do you have with you?"**

Lyra blinked at this. "I have five with me, including this new Egg," she replied. She then explained what happened at the Day Care Center.

**"You and Ethan seem to be magnets for abandoned Eggs and Pokemon," **he commented, remembering how Ethan had gotten Marill as an Egg from his grandparents.** "Anyway, you are aware that you can only carry six Pokemon, right?"**

Lyra nodded: who in the world of Pokemon _didn't_ know that?

**"If you want, you can store a few of them in the PC's. A man named Bill created the storage system which transports the Pokemon to the closest lab."**

Lyra nodded, thinking about which Pokemon to send. She eventually decided on Scout: as lovable as the Furret was, Lyra didn't want to risk a repeat of Axel in Elm's lab. If another PokeMember got in there...

"I'll send you my Furret," she said. Elm nodded.

**"Okay. Just turn on the computer and put her PokeBall in the transporter. And incidentally, I hear Bill's at Goldenrod City right now. Be sure to visit him!"**

Lyra nodded as she turned on the computer and put Scout's PokeBall in the transporter. A bright light and the PokeBall disappeared. Professor Elm held it in his hands, having picked it up from his transporter.

**"Don't worry, we'll take good care of Scout!"** he said, smiling. Lyra grinned back.

"I'm sure you will!" she replied as the screen turned black. Lyra then walked out of the Pokemon Center.

"Now, to find this Bill..."

* * *

Eventually she found a small house on the side of Goldenrod. Not even getting a chance to knock on the door, she was instantly greeted by a little girl.

"Hi! Are you a Trainer?" she asked. Lyra nodded, causing the little girl to grin and drag her into the house.

"Hey, Bill! I found a Trainer!" the little girl exclaimed. The young man she was addressing grinned before walking up to Lyra.

"I"m Bill! I created the storage systems you see in the PC's!" he said cheerfully. Lyra shook his hand.

"I'm Lyra. It's nice to meet you!" she replied, smiling. "I just used the storage systems. It must've been pretty hard to make!"

Bill scratched the back of his head. "Well, I didn't do it alone...Lanette, from Hoenn, helped me with some of it," he said. "In fact, I have friends from all over the world helping me with it. Even so, it is pretty tiring, so I come back here every once in a while."

Lyra nodded when saw the Pokemon at Bill's feet. It was an Eevee, who was quietly staring at the Quilava at his Trainer's feet. There was something a little strange about the Eevee's fur...

"Uh, Bill? About your Eevee..." she started. Bill glanced at the Eevee next to him.

"Oh, him?" he asked. "It looks like his fur is a different color than most Eevees. I just found him one day when I was adjusting one of my newer inventions. Before I knew it, he went into one of the PokeBalls I had out."

Lyra looked at Bill incredulously. A Shiny Eevee! Did Bill have _any_ idea how rare a Shiny Eevee is? _Any_ Shiny Pokemon is pretty damn rare, but add that to the fact that Eevee's were unbelievably hard to find...Professor Elm would have_ loved_ to even _meet_ this little Eevee!

"So it was a wild Pokemon?"

"Yeah, but there's one problem..."

He glanced at Lyra, then back to the Eevee. He snapped his fingers. "Actually, you can solve the problem. I mean, you're a Trainer, right?" Lyra nodded.

"Great! Somebody has to take care of Eevee, but I don't like being outside much. Do you think you can take him off my hands?"

Lyra nearly had a heart attack. Who gives away an Eevee, much less a _Shiny_ Eevee? Any Collector would give an arm and a leg for a shiny Pokemon! But Bill obviously wasn't a Collector...And neither was Lyra, so...

"Okay, I'll take him," she said. Bill grinned, giving Lyra the Eevee's PokeBall.

"Great! Thanks a bunch, Lyra! Take good care of him!"

Axel regarded the silvery-gray Eevee with something akin to boredom.

_"I don't know how many strays Lyra can take,"_ he said. The Eevee growled at him, obviously pissed at the 'stray' comment.

_"Please be quiet, Lea,"_ he growled. This caused Axel to immediately growl at the Eevee.

_"How do you know my...?" _Axel started when he saw the numeral VII between the Eevee's eyes.

Axel blinked.

Eevee blinked back.

Axel blinked again.

Eevee glared.

Axel's eyes nearly bugged out of his face.

_"ISA?"_ he screeched, giving his former friend a look. _"I don't believe it! You're...fluffy! And sparkly!"_

_"Don't think I'm enjoying this. If I find out who put me in this form, I swear to Kingdom Hearts..." _he growled. Axel whistled.

_"Whoever put us in our Pokemon forms sure have a great sense of humor. You should see Larxene!" _he exclaimed, almost near hysterics. .

Noticing the Eevee's numeral, Lyra took out the name list and underlined _VII - Saix._

_Another one...that makes four PokeMembers so far..._she thought, returning Axel and picking up Saix.

"C'mon, Saix," she said, ignoring the Eevee's incredulous look. "It's getting dark, so let's go to the Pokemon Center. With any luck, everything will be explained."

* * *

_"...So all of us are in these different forms? And we actually have hearts now?" _Saix asked. Zexion nodded.

_"The hearts come from being reincarnated. Also, we think that our previous titles told a clue to what the other members are. Since you were the Luna Diviner, your fur must symbolize your Moon element," _he replied.

_"And allow me to ask, how does this girl know of our predicament?" _

_"That's an interesting story. You see..."_

While Zexion explained the Replica Room story to Saix, Lyra was on the computer that was included in the room she rented. While on PokeTube, she happened to come across a certain video...

**"I ache for the touch of your lips, dear, but much more for the touch of your whips, dear~! You can raise welts like nobody else as we dance to the masochism tango!"**

Hearing this, Axel proceeded to fall to the floor in laughter. Larxene twitched several times before shocking Axel. Zexion and Saix watched in partial amusement while Hoshi chirped (it turns out that Axel getting shocked by Larxene was very entertaining to the baby Pokemon.).

Giggling, Lyra quickly stopped the video.

_Savage Nymph indeed,_ she thought, glancing at the Egg.

_I wonder what's in this Egg?_

* * *

I think the wording is a bit awkward at some points. I've been getting sick as of late. If you want to blame anything, blame my immune system. :P

You know how the Day-Care couple gives you a random Egg in Crystal version? When that didn't happen in HeartGold, I was a bit disappointed. So that's the reason why Lyra and Ethan get Eggs. You'll find out what they hatch to soon enough...AND THIS IS THE LAST ABANDONED EGG BIT YOU'LL SEE IN THIS FIC, I SWEAR!

If any of you can guess the song (and who sings it) that has made a cameo in this chapter, you get a cookie. When I first heard it, I said, "WTF?" and my muse proclaimed, "Perfect for Larxene. Find a way to incorporate this into the fic. NOW!"

...Yes, my muse is a very scary entity.

No flamey please?


	12. The Luna Diviner

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

OMGWTFBBQ! XIII POKEMON HAS OVER 100 REVIEWS! THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD THAT MANY IN A FIC!*balloons and confetti fly everywhere a la Disney Town*

Seriously, I love you all. Thank you so so much!

On with the fic!

* * *

Walking with Saix, Lyra noted, was a sure fire way to get attention. Simply because he was an Eevee, and doubly so because he was shiny.

_"Your Eevee's so adorable!"_

_"And it's shiny, too!"_

_"You're so lucky!"_

Saix clearly wanted to bite anyone who got too close. So Lyra gave anybody who wanted to pet Saix the same warning: "Don't come too close, he's short tempered." Even so, that didn't stop a few people from crouching down to pet the Eevee.

This caught the attention of one Kenny Rice, who had just opened a Bike Shop somewhere in Goldenrod. This Bike shop didn't get many customers (probably because it was so new), and seeing as everyone practically flocked towards the shiny Eevee, maybe...just maybe...

"Excuse me?" he asked, approaching Lyra. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Lyra blinked, glancing at the Bike seller with a curious look.

"My name's Kenny Rice. I just moved to Goldenrod from Cerulean City, and just opened up a Bike Shop," he said. "And I haven't been selling much. But I couldn't help but notice how everyone goes toward your Eevee. Do you think you two can ride a Bike and advertise for me?"

Lyra's eyebrows shot up at this. Granted, the bike would be loaned, but it was better than no bike at all, so...

"Okay. We'll do it," she said. Kenny inwardly cheered at this as Saix gave her an incredulous look.

"Great! Just step over here and you can pick a model..." Kenny said, waling towards the Bike Shop.

A number exchange and about a half-hour later, Lyra walked out of the Bike Shop, with a bike and a basket. She put Saix into the basket and sat on the bike seat.

"I can't help but feel that he's taking advantage of you being shiny," Lyra said as she took off in the Bike. "But I gotta say, you really can't say no to a free bike, loaned or no."

Enjoying the feel of the wind in his fur, Saix was inclined to agree.

* * *

After training Saix by breezing through Route 35, Route 34 and the Ilex Forest (amid several questions of where she got the Bike - Kenny was so overjoyed at the wave of customers that he called Lyra about two hours into their training and said that she could keep the bike.), Lyra went to the Radio Tower.

"This is cool, isn't it? I've always wanted to go here!" she said to Saix. The Eevee looked around. It was just a Radio Tower. What was the big deal?

"Excuse me, miss? Are you here for the Radio Card Quiz? If you answer five questions correctly, you get a Radio Card for your PokeGear!" a woman sitting behind the desk called.

Lyra grinned at that prospect and sat at the nearby table. Saix gave his new Trainer a deadpan look and sighed. She was exactly like Axel/Lea...always wanting to try anything once...or five times.

Five (rather easy) questions later, the lady behind the desk (whom we shall call Ginger) smiled, getting a small card out of a drawer.

"Congratulations! Here's your Radio Card!" she said, handing Lyra the card. "Do you need help plugging it into your PokeGear?"

Lyra shook her head, inserting the card into the device. She grinned, thinking about all the broadcasts she was going to catch...

"Wow! You're amazing! I could have _sworn_ that the answer to three was Apricots!"

Lyra turned to see a girl, maybe a few years older than Lyra, smiling at her. She had pink hair in two ponytails and a pink-and-white outfit. Lyra sweatdropped.

"It was nothing, really," she said sheepishly. The girl shook her head, saying, "It didn't seem like 'nothing' to me! Anyways, I'm Whitney! I'm the Gym Leader for Goldenrod!"

Lyra gaped. "R-Really? I was planning on heading there while I was here!" she exclaimed.

"Feel free to stop by, then! But tomorrow, okay? Today's my day off," Whitney asked. Lyra nodded, replying, "Fine by me. I still have a lot to see here."

Whitney grinned at this, running out of the Radio Tower. "See you tomorrow, then!" she yelled over her shoulder. Lyra waved back, thinking about her Pokemon roster. Goldenrod had Normal Pokemon, and she had no Fighting types...and not enough female Pokemon to not be really be affected by Attract. She might have to switch someone out for Scout, but still...

"Too bad," she muttered. It was then that Lyra heard the following conversation:

_"Have you heard the rumor?"_

_"What rumor?"_

_"They say that Union Cave's haunted!"_

_"Get out!"_

_"Yeah, I know someone who knows a Hiker that hangs around there. He says that he hears an eerie singing coming from the lower levels of the cave every night."_

_"Spooky!"_

_"I know!"_

Lyra blinked, and turned towards Saix.

"Well, Larxene wants to train a bit, and I know you still need training...I hear the lower levels have stronger Pokemon," she said.

Saix smirked at this.

* * *

It was true. She heard a strange singing drifting in the air. It was eerie, but somehow beautiful. It almost made biking through Ilex Forest (and all the relentless little Oddish) worth it.

The two followed the singing until they came upon a lonely lake. Lyra nearly fell into it in her near-trance.

_Wow. We must be really far down if there's a lake here, _Lyra thought when she noticed the figure drifting in the water. It wasn't human, true. But it wasn't a ghost, either.

It was a Lapras.

Lyra blinked. That's all there was down here? A Lapras? As cool as the Pokemon was, Lyra couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

The Lapras caught sight of the two and smiled.

"Hey, how's it going?" The Lapras said cheerfully. Lyra nearly lost her footing when she heard the Lapras actually say that.

"You – you - you - you can talk!" she squawked, pointing at the Lapras.

"Uh, yeah. Can't he?" the Lapras replied, gesturing towards Saix.

"No…Well _yeah_, but not in plain English," Lyra replied. An idea hit her as she took the PokeDex from her pocket and pointed it at the Lapras. **"Lapras, the Transport Pokemon," **it chirped.** "These Pokemon are very social and like to transport people across large bodies of water. They are highly intelligent, so it is believed that they are able to learn the human language." **

Lyra blinked at this information. "That explains it," she said, when it hit her. "Transport Pokemon…?"_ I'd need transportation when it comes time to get to Cianwood City, cuz there's that huge body of water. Plus, he **is** a Water Type, and they're always useful… _

Meanwhile, Saix was glancing at the Lapras. Something was annoyingly familiar about him. But what? Lapras sighed.

"Ya know," The Lapras said. "It gets a little boring with just me down here. I mean, I'm fine with relaxing and all, but I don't want to be in the same place forever. Especially a place as dark as this. It's kinda the reason I'm talking to you right now: I got bored, so I taught myself how to speak - or sing - in English. Can I go with you?" Lyra blinked.

"I – I was about to try catching you, anyway!" she exclaimed. She then noticed Saix staring at the Lapras intently, almost as if…

"But can I see something first?" The Lapras nodded, swimming over towards Lyra. She got on his back and eventually saw the numeral IX on the front left fin. Lyra glanced at Saix.

"Uh…I think you want to see this," she said, pointing to the numeral. The Lapras and Saix blinked as the Eevee saw the numeral. NO. For the love of Kingdom Hearts, NO! _"Hello, Demyx."_

The Lapras blinked, observing the Eevee. Seeing the VII numeral, he gulped.

"Sa-Saix?" he asked nervously. Lyra raised an eyebrow at this, glancing at the name list. _XI - Demyx._

_Melodious Nocturne...it fits somehow,_ she thought.

"I think I'll need some help explaining this to you," she said, reaching for Zexion's PokeBall. Saix shook his head, as if to say, "That won't be necessary. Allow me." Seeing that, Lyra nodded and retracted her hand.

_"Basically, all the members have been reborn as Pokemon and we all have hearts,"_ Saix said. _"So far we have found Axel, Larxene, Zexion, you and myself."_ Demyx blinked at this.

"Oh, okay. Cool, I guess," he said. "I mean, I'm willing to admit I'm scared of Larxene, but Axel was pretty cool. Same with Zexy."

Lyra wanted to laugh hysterically at the shorter version of Zexion's name. She scooped Saix in her arms and hopped off of Demyx's back

"Okay, then! I'm going to need you to go into this PokeBall," she said, taking out an Ultra Ball. Demyx tapped the button with his nose and after a few shakes, the Ultra Ball disappeared.

_That must be what happens when you catch a Pokemon when you already have six,_ she thought, sighing.

"Let's get back to Goldenrod. I think there's still stuff to find over there," she said, going up the nearby rope ladder.

* * *

Lyra walked into the Underground entrance to find a Marill. She blinked.

"Hey, aren't you...?"

"Hey, Marill! Wait up!" a voice yelled. Ethan ran up the stairs, panting as he did so. "I know you don't like fighting, but just..."

Marill crossed her arms and looked away. Ethan gave it a questioning look before facepalming. "Oh, it's the nickname thing. Okay, I'll try to..."

He blinked upon seeing Lyra. And instantly noticed the shiny Eevee at her feet. His eyes practically jumped out of his face.

"Hey, Lyra. How in the name of Arceus did you get a Shiny Eevee?" he yelled. "We were at the Day Care Center yeserday and you didn't show us this little guy!" Lyra sweatdropped.

"Uh...I ran into Bill, who created the storage system," she explained. "He found Saix over here and practically gave him to me."

"Lucky little..." Ethan grumbled. Whether the 'lucky little' Ethan was talking about was Lyra or Bill she couldn't know.

"How's the Egg coming along?" Lyra asked, desperate to change the subject. Ethan grinned again, taking out the Egg from his bag.

"It's doing great! I think it's gonna hatch soon!" he exclaimed. Lyra took out her Egg. It was warm, and she thought she could see something twitching from underneath the thin eggshell...

"I think mine's nearly ready to hatch, too," she said. Ethan's eyes brightened as he stuffed his Egg back into his backpack and took out a heart-shaped container of some sort. He handed it to Lyra, saying, "Here! I found this in the Underground. I thought you'd like it."

"A Fashion Case? Ethan..." Lyra started when Ethan deflated, asking, "You don't like it?"

"No, I...do like it, and it was really thoughtful of you. Thanks," she replied. Ethan grinned, saying, "Good! I'll be seeing you. C'mon, Mizu!"

Ethan ran out, with Marill (apparently now Mizu - did Ethan visit the Name Rater while he was here?) faithfully running behind him. Lyra blinked, staring at the door and glancing at the Fashion Case. She noticed Saix giving her a deadpan look and sighed.

"Don't look at me like that. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I don't know of any situation that would require me using a Fashion Case. Now let's get to the Pokemon Center. It's getting dark."

* * *

_"So Isa, how was your first day out?"_ Axel asked when he and the rest of the Pokemon were released. Saix sighed.

_"We obtained a bicycle and a Radio Card, found Demyx, and trained. I am now equal with the rest of you in strength," _he replied. Axel raised an eyebrow. _  
_

_"You found Demyx?"_ Zexion asked. Saix nodded, saying, _"Yes. As you can guess, he was a singing Water Pokemon. You might meet him if ever we need to cross a body of water." _

_"Wouldn't surprise me." _Axel said as Larxene laughed, saying, _"A singing Pokemon? Fits the little weakling perfectly."_

_"As weak as Demyx might turn out to be, he will be of some use to us. He can directly communicate with Lyra," _Saix said.

_"You mean, he can speak English?" _Axel asked skeptically._  
_

_"Apparently he taught himself English by singing songs in Union Cave," _Saix replied. Zexion seemed thoughtful at this.

_"I've always wondered why Pokemon could understand the human language but never truly speak it," _he said. _"I'll have to talk with Demyx about this."_

_"You do that. I'm going to bed," _Saix said, curling up in the nearby chair. Axel immediately ran up to the chair and pulled Saix off of it.

_"What was that for?"_ Saix snapped. Axel growled.

_"That's my spot!"_ he said. Saix bristled.

_"I don't see your name on it,"_ he immediately remarked. The two glared at each other, and then started to laugh/chuckle. Larxene and Zexion looked at the scene in confusion.

_"If you two are done cracking irrelevant jokes, we must go to bed. The Gym battle's tomorrow," _Zexion said, drifting towards the window. Larxene nodded her agreement and curled up in the bed (next to Hoshi) as Lyra tucked herself in. Axel took the armchair as Saix curled up in the other chair that was next to the computer.

That line did hold relevance for them. More or less, that was how Lea and Isa met.

_"Hey, that's my spot!" a ten-year old redhead exclaimed, glaring at the blue-haired eleven-year old in front of him. The bluenette was sitting near a swing set. _

_"I don't see your name on it," the boy replied calmly. _

_"You wanna fight for it?"_

_"No. I see no reason to be fighting a pointless battle. I'm not budging."_

_The redhead glared until he grinned at the bluenette. _

_"All right, we can share," he said, sitting next to the bluenette. "You know something, I like you. Not in a creepy way, mind you. You're a smart-ass."_

_"Only way to be," the bluenette replied, to which the redhead laughed. _

_"We're gonna be good friends for sure! I'm Lea!" he exclaimed, sticking his arm out. The bluenette quirked a smile, grabbing Lea's hand in a handshake._

_"Isa."_

* * *

Demyx meeting is somewhat anti-climatic. D:

Honestly, I didn't think of Demyx being a Lapras until it was mentioned in a review. So I have that reviewer to thank.

Sooo...no flamey please?


	13. Friends in My Heart

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

I just realized this is the thirteenth chapter...Chapter XIII...heh.

On with the fic!

* * *

"Well, today's the day!" Lyra said stretching her arms and jumping out of bed. After she changed into her normal outfit, she looked at her still sleeping Pokemon and smiled.

_They're getting along really nicely, _she thought, watching them for a little bit. She then clapped her hands, causing the Pokemon to jump out of sleep. She returned her Pokemon and took out her PokeGear, calling Professor Elm.

**"Good morning, Lyra!" **Professor Elm exclaimed, picking up a few papers that he had dropped.

"Hey, Professor Elm. Do you think that we could swap Hoshi for Scout? I'm going into Goldenrod gym and since Whitney uses Attract..." Lyra started.

**"Oh, sure. I understand. I've actually wanted to examine Hoshi for a bit. Just send him through and I'll be done by the end of the day,"** Elm replied. Lyra nodded, returning Hoshi and putting him in the transporter. It disappeared in a flash of light, and seconds later was replaced by Scout's PokeBall. Lyra picked it up and grinned.

"Thanks, Professor!" she exclaimed.

**"Good luck on your battle!"** Elm replied, picking up - and dropping - the PokeBall. The transmission ended before Lyra could see Hoshi's reaction to seeing Elm.

* * *

Larxene looked around the Gym distastefully. How could she not? It was cute and pretty and...pink! Who in their right mind would want to surround themselves with that much pink? It was insanity!

Lyra noticed Larxene's distaste and sweatdropped.

"I can't say I blame you for glaring around like that - I've never liked pink either - but you're making me kinda nervous," she said. Larxene glanced at Lyra and shrugged. What was Pigtails so worried about? Larxene wasn't gonna shock her...at least, not at the moment.

Whitney, who was just ahead, noticed Lyra and grinned.

"Hi! We met at the Radio Tower, right?" she asked. Lyra nodded, saying, "Yeah. I'm Lyra." The brunette looked around when Whitney noticed Larxene perched on Lyra's hat.

"Your Pichu's so cute!" she gushed. As Larxene twitched upon being called cute, Whitney continued, "I think Pokemon are adorable in general. That's part of the reason why I started being a Trainer."

She took out a PokeBall and threw it. When the light subsided, a Clefairy was revealed.

"I gotta warn you...I'm good!" Whitney said, smirking. Lyra returned Larxene and released Axel.

"Axel, Flame Wheel!"

"Doubleslap!"

Axel's attack ended up burning the Clefairy's arm. The fairy Pokemon made a sound expressing pain as she couldn't slap Axel as hard as she would have.

"Good, Axel! Now use Smokescreen and Quick Attack!"

"Metronome!"

Black smog filled the room as Axel rammed into Clefairy with his Quick Attack. The Clefairy waved its finger and a burst of blue light came from the tip. Axel dodged the attack and it landed near Lyra's foot. A block of ice formed where the beam hit.

_That was Ice Beam, _she thought. "Finish it quickly! Flame Wheel again!"

This time the attack caused Clefairy to faint. Whitney returned Clefairy.

"J-Just one left?" Whitney near-whined, throwing another PokeBall. "I'm not going to lose! Go, Miltank!"

The PokeBall opened, revealing a pink cow Pokemon. Lyra returned Axel and sent out Scout, yelling, "Go, Scout! Use Headbutt!"

"Stomp, Miltank!"

Scout's Headbutt knocked Miltank back a bit, and the Furret was able to dodge before Miltank could stomp on her.

"Keep using Headbutt!"

"Rollout!"

After taking another Headbutt, Miltank curled itself into a ball and rolled towards Scout. This time it collided, sending Scout back a few feet. Lyra returned Scout at this point and released Axel.

"Flame Wheel!"

"Use Attract!"

Lyra blanched. Even after the fire attack hit, Miltank smiled and winked at Axel, who started to blush in spite of himself.

_Change of plans, _Lyra thought, returning Axel and releasing Larxene.

"Use Taunt and then Thunder Wave!"

Larxene smirked at the Miltank. _This_ is where being a smack-talking juvenile in a past life comes in handy.

_"Hey, Milky Way! Your momma's so fat when she gets a cut she bleeds milkshakes!" _she exclaimed. Miltank's eye twitched, and it had one thought in its mind: _I'M GONNA KILL THAT PICHU! _

Miltank was so distracted in its anger that she didn't notice the Thunder Wave until it hit, paralyzing the Cow Pokemon. It immediately munched on the Lum Berry it was holding, causing Lyra to groan.

"Miltank, Rollout again!" Whitney said, near panicking.

"Use Thunder Wave again and then Thundershock!"

Larxene shocked the Miltank, who rolled into Larxene, nearly causing her to faint. That didn't stop the Electric type from using Thunder Wave, paralyzing the Miltank again and then Thundershock. That caused the Miltank to faint, swirls replacing her eyes.

"We did it!" Lyra exclaimed. Whitney just stared at the fainted Miltank for a second, returned her, and then Whitney opened her mouth and...

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

Lyra and Larxene facefaulted at this. That...was the most ungraceful loss they had _ever_ seen.

"Um..." Lyra started. Whitney, hiccuping, glared at Lyra.

"You big meanie!" was her only reply. Lyra sighed at this. How was she ever going to get the Badge _now_?

"Oh no. You made Whitney cry."

Lyra jumped and turned to see one of the Rookie trainers, who observed the sight in what seemed to be a mix of exasperation and amusement.

"I'm sorry about that," Lyra said. The trainer shook her head, saying, "It's normal, actually. Whitney always cries when she loses. She'll stop soon enough."

Just as soon as she said that, Whitney had taken just to sniffling and hiccuping. She immediately grinned.

"Ah, that was a good cry!" she exclaimed. Lyra and Larxene facefaulted again. Whitney noticed the two and gasped.

"Oh, I still have to give you your Badge, don't I?" she asked, pulling a daimond-shaped Badge. "Here! This is the Plain Badge! It lets Pokemon use Strength outside of battle! And you can have this too!"

At this she handed Lyra a TM. The label said TM 45.

"It's Attract! It's a move that makes full use of a Pokemon's charm. Isn't that fitting for cute Pokemon like mine?" Whitney said, giggling. Lyra sweatdropped at pink-haired Gym Leader snapped her fingers.

"Oh, and I just heard about the Pokeathlon Dome that opened up near the National Park. You might want to check it out, since you're good at Pokemon battling!" she said. Lyra smiled.

"Thanks! I'll keep that in mind! And while I'm here, could you tell me where the next Gym is?" Lyra asked.

"It's in Ecruteak City, north of here, I think," Whitney replied. Lyra nodded, walking out of the Clefairy decorated Gym, saying, "Thanks!"

When she left the Gym, she turned towards Larxene, and then at the newly acquired TM.

"Makes full use of a Pokemon's charm...Maybe you should learn this one, Larxene," she teased. Larxene gave her a deadpan look before shocking her. Lyra grinned, having gotten used to Larxene's shocks.

"Now let's get going!"

* * *

Lyra sighed. After investigating the strange tree blocking the road to Ecruteak (which turned out to be a Sudowoodo - Lyra caught him and named him Reddo), she sat in a bench near the Ruins of Alph.

"Phew. That was tiring, wouldn't you say Axel?" she asked. Axel nodded, having slumped in the bench. That stupid Sudowoodo was too persistent.

That was when the Egg started to twitch.

Blinking, Lyra took the Egg out of her bag. Axel perched himself on Lyra's shoulder, curious as to what Pokemon would hatch out of it this time.

A black paw broke out of the Egg and socked Axel in the face.

The Fire-type fell off of Lyra's shoulder as the eggshell broke, revealing a small blue-and-black jackal/raccoon type creature. The little baby yawned, rubbing its eyes.

Lyra's eyes widened at this. A Riolu! She knew they could be found somewhere west of Cianwood (in fact, a lot of rare Pokemon were there - Lyra had heard about plans for a Safari Zone being created there), but while they were easier to find than, say, a Ditto (the blob Pokemon were evasive little bastards), they were pretty damn hard to catch.

_"What's the big idea?" _Axel demanded, climbing up to Lyra's shoulder again, a rather irate look on his face. _"I just wanted to know what was gonna hatch! You didn't have to punch me!"_

_"A-Axel?"_

The Riolu was staring at Axel with wide eyes. It was then that Axel noticed it. The numeral _XIII_ on the Riolu's paw.

_"Roxy...?" _

Now, keep in mind that as a reborn PokeMember, Axel has an emotional heart. So he did what any Nobody turned Pokemon would do when confronted with their best friend in those emotionless times.

He cheered, _"ROXY!"_ and glomped the poor Riolu a la Tigger. When they stopped rolling, Axel grinned.

_"Surprised to see me, Roxy?"_

_"Wha...I don't...but how?"_

_"Listen now, Roxy, and listen good. I am too epic to die and stay dead. Got it memorized?"_

Lyra watched as the two Pokemon laughed with each other. Were those two best friends in their past lives or something? She checked the list and saw his name at the bottom: _XIII - Roxas._

"I'm betting it's safe to assume you two were best friends?" she asked the two Pokemon. Axel nodded while Roxas stared at her in confusion. Smiling, Lyra watched as Axel explained everything to Roxas, who seemed surprised, looking at himself in his shock. She then frowned: seeing the two best friends reunited made her think about her relationship between her and _her_ best friend. She felt really bad that Ethan didn't know about this whole thing and Lyra did. They never kept anything from each other, so...

_Beepbeepbeepbeep~_

Lyra took out her PokeGear and blinked at the Caller ID: Ethan. She pressed the button to see Ethan grinning back.

"Hey, Ethan, what's up?"

**"My Egg hatched!" **he exclaimed. Lyra smiled.

"Seriously? Mine, too! There was a Riolu!"

**"Congrats! This time I'm not gonna be jealous, cuz' I got a Larvitar! How ya like that?" **

Lyra gasped. "Ethan, that's astounding! Congratulations!" she exclaimed, grinning. Ethan grinned back, and then blinked, as if remembering something.

** "Can I ask you something, though?" **

"Hmm?"

**"I talked to Professor Elm and he told me some of your Pokemon have it...why do you think my Larvitar has a numeral on its horn?"**

Lyra and Axel glanced at each other, surprise evident on their faces.

"Can we see?" she asked. Ethan nodded, showing the stoic looking Larvitar. Sure enough, the numeral V was on the horn on its head, as plain as day. As Ethan started to talk about it, Lyra checked the name list again. _V - Lexaeus._

**"...I mean, Professor Elm told me that it's a birthmark or something, but I don't know what to call it now. Should I call it Five like that Peanuts character, or...?"**

"How about Lexaeus?" Lyra asked. Ethan blinked at this.

**"Lexaeus? What does a name like that have to do with the numeral?" **

Lyra sighed and gulped at this. "Remember when you asked how I got my Pokemon nicknames?" she asked, almost nervously. Axel gave her an incredulous look, but Lyra ignored it. What if Ethan thought she was crazy? What if...

**"Really? You're telling me your secret?" **Ethan asked. Lyra nodded.

"But can we talk about it in person? I don't want to risk someone overhearing and thinking I'm crazy," she replied. Ethan cocked an eyebrow at this.

**"Why would anyone think you're crazy?"**

"It's a long story. Just meet me near the Ruins of Alph, okay? That's where I am now."

**"Okay. I'm actually pretty close to there myself. See you there!"**

Lyra sighed, shutting off her PokeGear. She looked up at the sky and frowned.

_I wish this could be a little easier..._

_

* * *

_

The two were in the abandoned chamber of the ruins. Ethan looked around the place, examining the walls.

"So, what's your secret? Is it in the walls or something?" he asked enthusiastically.

Lyra fidgeted. Sure, the two have been best friend since birth, but she was scared that he'd thought she was crazy. Wouldn't you be if you were about to say to your friend, "Hey, my Pokemon are actually emotionless beings reborn into Pokemon by some unknown force? But don't let that distract you from the fact that we're best friends?"

...Thought so.

"Uh...You sure you woudn't think I'm crazy?" she asked. Ethan sighed.

"Lyra, where did you get the thought that I would ever think you were crazy? We're best friends, aren't we?" he asked.

"Yeah..." Lyra trailed off. Ethan blinked, seeing something floating in front of him.

"Uh...Lyra?" he asked. Lyra turned and saw that Ethan was facing those letter Pokemon from last time. The Pokemon saw Lyra and seemed to be staring at her. Lyra stared back in confusion when it hit her.

_"Those Pokemon were the Unown!"_

_"The Unown seemed to be **granting a little girl's wish**."_

_**I wish this could be a little easier...**  
_

Almost as if on cue, the PokeBalls holding the PokeMembers opened, releasing all of them. Zexion and Axel raised an eyebrow at the scene and then glanced at each other.

_"Who do you think made the wish this time?" _Zexion asked, aware of what was about to happen. Axel shrugged.

_"Probably Lyra. She wanted to tell Ethan about how she 'came up' with our 'nicknames' and looked like she was nervous," _he replied as the white light the Unown created swallowed them all.

* * *

_"We're in here again?" Lyra asked, looking up at the high thrones. Yes, they were back in the Replica Room! Only more of the thrones were occupied. There was a blonde haired girl with green eyes (looking down at the two Trainers with a smirk), a tall brown haired man with a serious face, a blue-haired man with an X scar on his forehead, and a boy with spiky blond hair. _

_"Well, yeah. You were nervous about wanting to tell Ethan about us and obviously made a wish," Axel commented._

_"Why would you want to tell this boy, anyway?" the blue-haired man asked, staring down at the unconscious Ethan. _

_"Because he's my best friend. Best friends tell each other everything, and I just feel bad for not telling him about you guys. He can keep a secret, honestly!" Lyra replied. _

_"Lyra, what you do concerning us is your decision," Zexion said. "Just be careful about who you tell."_

_"Zexion's right," the spiky haired boy added. "Ethan does seem reliable, but it's still risky."_

_"Risky meaning that he could really think you're crazy and have you tossed to the loony bin," the girl said, smirking._

_**Definitely Larxene, **Lyra thought bitterly._

_"Larxene, you do realize you're not helping?" Zexion asked when they heard __Ethan groaning, "Ugh...Did anybody get the number of the bike that hit me?" Lyra ran over to Ethan, helping him up._

_"You okay?" she asked. Ethan held his head._

_"I think so," he said, looking around in confusion. "H-Hey, where are we? I thought we were at the Ruins...did those Pokemon kidnap us? And where are our Pokemon?"_

_"Uh, no, we're not kidnapped. It's a little complicated..."_

_"Basically, we're your Pokemon," Axel said. Before Ethan could say anything, Axel continued, "Well, most of us belong to Lyra. Lexy over there has the distinct honor of being your Larvitar. Got it memorized?" At this he gestured towards the tall man, who nodded at Ethan.  
_

_"But...you guys are human!" he blurted. The members quietly chuckled at that._

_"Would that we were," Saix muttered. Zexion nodded in agreement, saying, "Indeed."_

_Ethan was baffled at this. They weren't human? A more disturbing thought entered his mind: were they ever human?  
_

_"Okay, you owe me an explanation," Ethan said, turning to Lyra. "I'm getting confused."_

_"Well...what do you know about the heart?"_

_It took about fifteen minutes, but Lyra (with the help of some of the members) was able to explain to Ethan the PokeMember's predicament. _

_"Okay, I think I get that. But how can I believe all of this? Where's the evidence?" Ethan asked._

_"You've already seen it," Lyra responded. Ethan responded with a confused look, before realizing: "The numerals?"  
_

_Roxas nodded. "We referred to each other as numbers, from I to XIII. So I guess our numbers carried themselves with us."_

_"You don't know either?" Ethan asked him. Roxas shrugged._

_"Lexaeus and I just hatched, so we're just as confused as you are," he told him. Lyra immediately noted that this one was Roxas.  
_

_Then the room started to fade away._

_"What...?" Ethan asked, looking around again.  
_

_"We're waking up," Zexion replied. Nobody could say anything this time as the room faded completely._

_

* * *

_

"So it wasn't a dream?"

"That's the reaction I had when I first stumbled into that room. I guess I started to believe it when I saw the numerals."

The two were at the room they had rented in Violet City. When they walked (or stumbled) out of the Ruins of Alph, they saw that it was dark out. As the two chatted, all of the PokeMembers were out of their PokeBalls. Axel and the others were talking to Lexaeus and Roxas, informing them of everything that had happened so far.

"How long have you known?" Ethan asked.

"Since my first trip to the Ruins, which was...wow, three weeks ago?" Lyra replied, realizing it had been that long.

"That's what's bugging me...why didn't you tell me before?" Ethan asked. Lyra sighed, looking at her shoes.

"Honestly? I thought you would think I was crazy. Would you have believed me?" she asked. Ethan sighed, pulling Lyra into a one-arm hug.

"Lyra...we're friends, okay? Friends don't do that to each other," he said. "Granted, I probably wouldn't have believed you, but I wouldn't think you were crazy."

Lyra smiled, hugging Ethan back. "Thanks, Eth," she said. "That means so much."

Ethan messed Lyra's hair before saying, "So...movie marathon tonight? I hear _The Princess Bride _and_ Princess Mononoke_ are going to be on tonight. After that we could play Super Smash Bros." At this he gestured to the Wii perched next to the TV.

Lyra grinned. Some friendships fade, some are built, some are obliterated, but the one she had with Ethan was still going strong.

"I call Lucas."

"What? No fair! You know Lucas is _my_ character!"

"Fine. I shall use Ness and kick your butt."

...Yep, this friendship was going to last for quite a while.

* * *

Before you ask, yes...I was planning on Ethan having a few of the PokeMembers. We wouldn't want all of them sitting in the Boxes, would we? He's going to have a few of the PokeMembers, so...muahahaha!

Okay, let us assume that Lyra already has the National PokeDex, because Riolu is a rare Sinnoh Pokemon (granted, it's rare in the Safari Zone in HGSS), but eh...

Sooo...no flamey please?


	14. The Key of Destiny

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Okay, so last chapter I spelled Ecruteak wrong. A reviewer was kind enough to point this mistake out, and I have fixed it. If I make another mistake like that, please let me know. :)

There's one thing I think I should address: the ages of Ethan, Lyra, and Silver. I've always thought of Lyra and Ethan as being fifteen, while Silver's sixteen. So they are those ages in this fic. Just thought I should bring that up.

And another aspect of a story has been brought to my attention: romance. I got a review asking if Axel and Larxene will end up having an Egg. My answer is: probably not, and for two reasons. One, I've never been a big Larxel shipper. Two, I didn't start this story thinking about romantic relationships between the PokeMembers (other than yaoi relationships, but since not a lot of my readers like yaoi, I'll keep that on a nonexistent level). In this story, the only romance I see happening is a possible Ethan/Lyra/Silver love triangle. At the very least, there's already been a bit of Ethan/Lyra, so...eh. Sorry for the disappointment.

EDITED NOTE: A reviewer pointed out that I implied a plot twist that I had no idea I put in. So I edited the chapter a bit. Okay?

On with the fic!

* * *

"You cheated, Lyra!"

"I did not! You just can't use PK Thunder to save your life!"

"Hmph. Well, at least I can do this!"

"Waugh!"

As Lyra tried to get out of the noogie Ethan caught her in, Roxas wanted to smile. Instead he was plauged by questions.

Why was he reborn in this world? He was grateful (getting to see Axel again and all), but he _had_ merged with Sora...didn't he? He knew that bastard DiZ/Ansem had nothing to do with it, because he disappeared when that heart cannon exploded.

It was pretty confusing, really.

Lyra got out of the headlock/noogie and grabbed her nearby bicycle from the nearby stand.

"We better get going," she said, picking up Roxas and putting him in the basket. "I gotta train this little guy."

Ethan nodded, saying, "I think I'll visit New Bark for a bit." He gestured to the Larvitar at his feet. "Think anyone needs to know about...you know..."

"Not particularly. I think if anyone else were to find out, it'd be Professor Elm. He knew about the numerals from the start: he just thinks they're birthmarks," Lyra replied. "But let's not tell him right now, okay?"

Ethan nodded, doing the famous 'lips are sealed' gesture before running off, with his Larvitar running silently behind him. Lyra took off, saying, "We gotta get moving, Roxas. You're going to need a lot of training to catch up with everyone else."

Roxas grinned, enjoying the feel of the wind in his fur. What did it really matter how he was reborn? He was here, and now he was his own person (well, Pokemon, but who's keeping track?)...and nobody else. There was nobody here who could compare him to Sora.

Roxas had no idea how he got here, or who was responsible, but he was grateful.

* * *

On the way, Lyra trained Roxas, who proved to be a _very_ good fighter. It was almost impressive how quickly he leveled up in the Routes they had gone through: in nearly five more levels, he'd be caught up with Axel, who was the strongest Pokemon at this point.

The first thing that greeted Lyra and Roxas upon arriving Ecruteak City was the sight of two very tall towers. The two seemed to be the yin and yang of the city: the one on the left seemed burnt into a crisp while the other seemed neat and as clean as could be. This second tower seemed to shine in the sunlight.

"Well, looks like this is Ecruteak!" Lyra exclaimed, jumping off of her bike and pushing it. "Before we take on the Gym, there are a few things we need to see. That sound okay?"

Roxas nodded. Lyra smiled at this, saying, "Good! Our first stop's going to be the Dance Theatre...hmm?" As she said this, she noticed a sign hanging on the door to said Theatre.

**"The Dance Theatre is closed today. Please come back tomorrow," **the sign. Lyra sighed seeing this.

"Well, looks like it can't be helped. We'll be back tomorrow," she said to Roxas. "There's another place we should go. It's good for training, and you still need a little more..."

Roxas shrugged. He was a little unsure when he saw that Lyra pushed the bike to the tower that seemed it would collapse at any given time.

"Don't worry, it won't collapse," she assured him. "The Burned Tower's stood like this for over a hundred years. It surely would have collapsed by now, right?"

That did nothing to calm Roxas' nerves.

* * *

When she entered the building, she was immediately noticed by a brown-haired man with a purple tuxedo and a white cape. He came up to her and said, "My name's Eusine. I'm looking for a Pokemon named Suicune. And you are...?"

"Uh...Lyra," the pigtailed girl replied, a bit put off by Eusine's eccentricities. The blond-haired man next to him noticed Eusine's questioning and sighed.

"Eusine, don't scare the poor girl," he remarked. Eusine turned to his companion, chuckled nervously and faced Lyra again.

"Lyra, huh? Sorry for the interrogation, but I'm anxious. See, I heard that Suicune could be found here, so here I am! Look through that hole!" he exclaimed, pointing at the rather large hole in the floor next to them. Lyra did so and caught sight of three dog-like creatures. One of them had fur the color of fire, one had yellow fur (resembling electricity), the other had fur the color of the ocean. Eusine pointed at the blue creature.

"See? That's Suicune," Eusine said. "I'd go down there myself, but all three of them would run away. I know. I've tried many times..."

Lyra stepped towards the blond-haired man and asked, "Is he always like this?"

The man nodded. "Sometimes I ask myself why I call him my best friend," he deadpanned, causing Roxas to chuckle under his breath. The man noticed the Riolu and commented, "That's a Riolu, right? Aren't they found in Sinnoh?"

"Usually," Lyra said. "I found him as an Egg. My name's Lyra, by the way. I'm a Pokemon Trainer from New Bark." As she said this, she stretched her arm out. The man shook it, saying, "I'm Morty, the Gym Leader for Ecruteak."

"You're the Gym Leader? Then why are you in here?" Lyra asked, eyebrows raised.

"Today's my day off," Morty replied. "Since my friend over there is here trailing Suicune, I thought I should investigate the Burned Tower. Do you happen to know the legend associated with this place?"

Lyra sweatdropped, saying, "Well, it's been a while since I've heard the story, so my memory about that's kinda fuzzy..." she trailed off. Morty smiled at this.

"That's okay. Not many people know everything about the myth," he replied, looking around the room. "The Tower was struck by lightning. This tower was consumed in a raging blaze, which was put out by a sudden downpour. But that didn't save three unknown Pokemon from the blaze. Ho-Oh revived them, and the three are destined to dash around the world. They are the Pokemon you see down there: Raikou, Entei, and Suicune."

"Wow..." Lyra breathed. Roxas had to agree: that was quite an interesting story.

It was then that Roxas felt something dark off to the side. It almost reminded him of the Nobodies, or the Heartless. He didn't really know what exactly it was, so he jumped off of Lyra's shoulder and followed the feeling.

"Roxas! Get back here!" Lyra called, running after the Riolu. She didn't have to run far, though: she found Roxas, who was staring at a certain redhead. The boy glanced at Lyra, and then at the Riolu.

"Oh, it's you," Silver said. "I guess this Riolu's yours?"

Lyra nodded as she scooped up Roxas in her arms, asking, "What are you doing here?"

"The question should be what are_ you_ doing here?" Silver replied. "You're not here to catch one of those legendary Pokemon to make yourself stronger, are you?"

Before Lyra could answer, Silver scoffed, "That's only a dream. See, the legendary Pokemon suits someone like me better: someone who's sworn to be the strongest. A battle with the Grunts is just right for you!"

At this, Silver tossed a PokeBall, releasing his Gastly. Lyra returned Roxas and sent out Axel.

"Use Flame Wheel, Axel!" Lyra yelled.

"Curse!"

Due to the Charcoal boosting Axel's fire attacks (and the fact that Curse takes off half the Gastly's HP), Axel quickly made mincemeat of the Gastly. He flinched when he felt the curse sap his energy.

"Go, Jaws!" Silver yelled, releasing the Croconaw. Lyra returned Axel and released Larxene.

"Larxene, use Taunt!" Lyra yelled.

_"Hey, Chip Skylark! Yo mama's so ugly that when she was born, her mother said, "Oh, what a treasure!" while her father said, "Yes...let's go bury it"!" _

Jaws twitched several times before...crying?

_"Mommy!" _he cried. Lyra and Larxene raised their eyebrows. Well..._that_ was an interesting way to react to a taunt.

"Jaws!" Silver yelled, paling in embarrassment. Lyra and Larxene looked at each other. Larxene shrugged before shocking Jaws, causing him glare angrily at the Pichu.

_"That's more like it!" _she exclaimed, smirking as sparks flew from her cheeks.

"Use Ice Fang, Jaws!"

"Thundershock again!"

Larxene dodged the ice attack and shocked Jaws again. Sparks surrounded the Croconaw, paralyzing him.

"Use Ice Fang again!"

This time the attack hit, causing Larxene to scream in pain. Where Jaws bit, a layer of ice formed, freezing the Pichu.

"Dammit!" Lyra cursed, returning Larxene and releasing Saix. Silver gaped at the Eevee. First a Pichu, then a Riolu, and now a shiny Eevee? What rare Pokemon would this little girl get next, a Lapras?

"Use Quick Attack!"

That caused the Croconaw to faint. Scowling, Silver returned Jaws and sent out a Magnemite.

"Magnet, use Sonicboom!"

That hit Saix, weakening him slightly. Lyra returned Saix and released Axel, yelling, "Use Flame Wheel!"

That attack quickly made mincemeat of the Magnemite. Silver gritted his teeth, returned Magnet.

"I guess losers are good at fighting when they're desperate...Go, Lestat!"

Lyra gritted her teeth at this.

"Use Flame Wheel!"

"Supersonic!"

The attack burned Lestat, but the Supersonic managed to confuse Axel. Lyra returned Axel, thinking, _Dammit...If Larxene wasn't frozen, she'd help a bit..._She then froze, getting an idea.

"C'mon...Go, Roxas!" she yelled, releasing the Riolu. He got into a fighting pose, ready to go.

"You know you're at a type disadvantage, right? Use Wing Attack!"

"Dodge and use Force Palm!"

The attack Roxas used managed to paralyze the Zubat. Having dodged the Wing Attack, Roxas felt pretty smug.

"Use Wing Attack Again!"

This time Wing Attack hit. Roxas struggled to get up and glared at the Zubat with determined eyes. Lyra grinned.

"Roxas, use Reversal!"

Roxas charged at the Zubat, grabbed it and hurled it into the ground. That caused the Zubat to faint. Scowling even more, Silver returned Lestat and handed Lyra her victory money.

"It's official: I'm never fighting weaklings again," he said. "There's just no challenge in it."

_No challenge? Look which one of us won! _Roxas thought. Silver then scoffed. "Whatever. It's not like you'll ever be able to catch a legendary."

Before Lyra could say anything, the two heard a large CRACK and she felt the sensation of being weightless. It was then that they saw the floor had given out right below her! She screamed as she plummeted into the ground below. Roxas jumped after her as Silver looked at the newly formed hole incredulously.

"I'M OKAY!" Lyra's voice echoed through the tower. Silver scoffed.

"Some genius you are!" he yelled. "What are you doing, falling into holes like that?"

He scoffed again, walking off. _Stupid girl..._

* * *

It wasn't that far of a fall, so Lyra obviously survived. When the dust settled, she looked up to see the newly formed hole. Morty and Eusine were looking down at the hole.

"Are you okay?" Eusine asked. Lyra got up and nodded.

"No broken bones!" she yelled back.

"Good! We're coming down there though, sostay put!" Morty replied. Lyra sighed at this, plopping down.

"What a first day out, huh Roxas?" she addressed the Riolu. Roxas nodded, looking around before seeing the three beasts.

Which seemed to be staring right at them.

Entei and Raikou took off immediately, leaping onto the floor above and darting out in different directions.

Suicune stayed for only a few moments longer. It ran around the room and then paused to stare at Lyra. The pigtailed girl began to fidget under the creature's gaze: to be noticed by a Legendary Pokemon, let alone even seeing one...it was intimidating, to say the least. Suicune then gave a loud roar and took off.

"Wow..." Lyra breathed. Those three were so fast, it was like they blurred away and disappeared. What was with Suicune, though?

"Did you see it?"

Lyra jumped and saw Eusine looking around the room wildly.

"Suicune just dashed away, right before my eyes!" he exclaimed, almost giddy. "I've been trailing Suicune for nearly ten years, and I've never been this close! I - I'm choked up!"

Lyra sweatdropped at Eusine's behavior.

"By the way..." Morty said, climbing down a nearby rope ladder. "Suicune seems to have noticed you."

"Is that good or bad?" Lyra asked, almost nervously.

"Either or," Morty replied, glancing at Eusine. "Legendary Pokemon only appears to those with pure hearts and talent." Eusine seemed to be deep in thought about this.

"So maybe I should be more agressive?" he asked himself.

"Eusine," Morty chided. Eusine scratched the back of his head, and then grinned at Lyra.

"Anyway, Lyra. I'm sure we'll meet again!" he said, running off. Lyra and Morty looked at the direction in which Eusine had run off.

"So..." Lyra said, breaking the silence. "That ladder leads to the first floor, right? I better go heal up my Pokemon."

"It's getting dark, anyway," Morty agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow at the Gym?"

Lyra blinked, before nodding. "Yeah. Tomorrow." As she said this, she started to climb up the ladder.

"Don't fall into another hole!" Morty called. Lyra gave him a thumbs up and climbed up.

**

* * *

**

"...and it was pretty much the most intimidating Pokemon I've ever seen."

After leaving the Burned Tower, Lyra went to the Pokemon Center, where she proceeded to tell Ethan and her mother (she called her mother and found that she was talking with Ethan) about what happened in the Burned Tower.

**"Wow, Lyra!" **Ethan exclaimed. **"I wish I could have been there to see it!"**

**"That does sound exciting!" **Lyra's mother (whom we shall call Arlene) added. **"Almost reminds me of my own journey!"**

"Really?" Lyra asked. Arlene nodded.

**"I never told you? I once saw Latias and Latios while I was traveling."**

"Really? You _never_ told me that!" Lyra exclaimed, eyes widening.

**"I'll tell you about it later," **Arlene replied. Lyra smiled at this.

**"Lyra…I just had a thought, since you've probably been going through a lot of grass and crap, and you just told me about what happened in the Burnt Tower…how are your clothes? Are they irreversibly dirty or damaged at all?" **Arlene asked. Lyra sweatdropped. Well, she had been getting into quite a few scrapes…and her clothes had gotten stained from mud, grass, and the occasional burn/shock. As you can figure out, the trip to the Burned Tower did nothing to help.

**"I'm taking your silence as a yes," **Arlene mused. **"Hang tight, okay?"**

"Wait. Mom?" Lyra asked. The transmission ended abruptly.

_What is she going to do now? _She thought, groaning. About fifteen minutes later, she heard a knock on the door. She answered it and there was her mother, holding a gray backpack! Lyra all but jolted out of the room, yelling "MOM? I mean…how?"

"You know I still have my Pokemon!" Arlene replied, holding out the PokeBall holding what Lyra could only guess was her mother's Swellow. "Now go, put these on!" she exclaimed, pushing the backpack into Lyra's arms. Lyra opened the backpack to find clothes stuffed neatly (how's that for an oxymoron?) into it.

Before Lyra could protest (these were probably hand-me-downs) Arlene pushed her daughter into the room.

"I don't want to hear it, young lady! March!"

About a half-hour of protests and arguments later, Lyra came out of the bathroom, decked in the new garb. Arlene grinned at this.

"I was right!" Arlene exclaimed, looking Lyra over. "You fit perfectly into your cousin's clothes!"

"Hand-me-downs, Mom? Really?" Lyra complained, near exasperated.

Roxas had to admit, for a hand-me-down outfit, it looked kinda cool (even if it did look a little similar to Sora's). Lyra's normal hat was resting on her head, having not been stained (thank Arceus – she had told Roxas that the hat was a gift from her dad, so she could never bear parting with it for too long). She had a gray-and-white striped T-shirt underneath a black short-sleeved jacket with yellow stripes going down the front sides and a yellow PokeBall insignia on the left sleeve. Long blue cargo pants stretched down, barely touching the floor so that one could see her black and yellow sneakers. Red-and-black gauntlets adorned her hands, which nervously fidgeted as Lyra awaited her answer.

"I'll have you know, your cousin never touched these clothes," Arlene replied. Noting Lyra's raised eyebrow, she continued, "These were the clothes your aunt and uncle planned out for her Pokémon journey. You know, the fashion-obsessed ones? When she announced she wanted to be a Coordinator, they delivered the clothes to me, since they knew you wanted to be a Trainer. I tried to send it back but they swore it was strictly a Trainer's Outfit. You took off in such a hurry that I couldn't hand you the clothes until now…"

"And you didn't hand them to me when I came home…why?"

"You had Axel and Larxene with you, and they were adorable. Sue me," Arlene deadpanned. Lyra swallowed a chuckle as Larxene and Axel glared at her. The Fire Pokemon had already swarmed around Roxas protectively at the arrival of the cuteness lover.

"Oh, and there's one more thing," Arlene said, taking a red scarf out of her bag. Lyra quirked an eyebrow.

"Mom, what would I need a scarf for?" she asked.

"For one thing, do you have any idea how cold the next few cities get in the next few months, especially Blackthorn? Plus, I had it when I went on my Pokemon journey in Hoenn. If anything, consider it a good luck charm," Arlene replied, wrapping the scarf around Lyra's neck.

"Can I ask something? Why do you buy all those Berries?" she asked. Since she had let Arlene take care of a fraction of her money, Lyra had been getting calls from her mother saying that she had bought random Berries with Lyra's money.

"Look…I realize I annoy you with the Berries, but I'm trying to show that I care. You know I've never been good with that. That's partly why your father left," Arlene said. "I just…don't want you to disappear on me the way...agh, what was that kid's name, Red? ...did for his mom. I mean, I've known his mom for ten years, and she must be dying to just hear from her kid right about now."

Lyra bit her lip at this. It was true that Red disappeared three years ago, but she never thought how… "Mom…It's true, you do annoy the hell out of me with the Berries. But I won't disappear. I promise, I'll call you if I ever get a chance. You may annoy me, but I love you," she replied.

Arlene and Lyra hugged at this, with Arlene messing up Lyra's hair. Lyra then blinked, realizing what her mother had said.

"Mom…you think I could get to Blackthorn within the next few months?"

"Of course! I believe in you, Lyra. Professor Elm told me about how rowdy Axel was when he was in the lab, and look at him now!" Arlene said, gesturing towards the Quilava, who was chatting away with the other PokeMembers. "You have talent, Lyra. And I'm not just saying that because I'm your mother."

Lyra grinned at this. Sure, they did get a little on each other's nerves, but hey...what mother/daughter duo hasn't? Arlene would always be Lyra's mom and vice versa. That wouldn't change, nor would the two want it to.

"So…wanna hear the Latias and Latios story? We got all night..."

"…Sure, Mom."

* * *

Yes, I had an outfit change for Lyra, because I just can't see how anyone could go through something like the Burned Tower and not get their clothes dirty. And besides, I never liked Lyra's outfit to start with. I thought it looked too much like Mario's. It did grow on me eventually, but still...

Sooo...no flamey please?


	15. Omake: The Melodious Nocturne

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

So this is the first bonus chapter! This one has been brewing in my head for a while, so...enjoy!

On with the fic!

* * *

A Lapras was one thing.

A _talking_ Lapras was another thing.

And a talking Lapras that claimed to be a former member of a group of (not)humans reborn as Pokemon? Quite a different thing entirely.

Professor Elm pushed up his glasses, trying to make sense of the rather..._unique_ story he had just been told. In fact, if Ethan wasn't there to back him up, he probably wouldn't have believed it. He looked up at the enthusiastic-looking Lapras (who was swimming in a rather small lake located behind the laboratory), glanced at the shrugging Ethan, and then glanced at Ethan's Larvitar, thinking about how everything he thought he knew about the numeral-marked group of Pokemon was turned on its head.

* * *

_Earlier that week..._

Professor Elm blinked as an Ultra Ball appeared in the PokeBall transporter beside him. He picked it up and went outside, figuring that Ethan or Lyra had caught this one. He tossed the Ultra Ball, expecting a something like a Mareep (in Lyra's case) or a Machop (in Ethan's case).

"...Hey, how'd I get here?"

Professor Elm blinked. He didn't recognize that voice _at all_. So who...? He looked around to find the source of the voice, but all he saw was one of his assistants (who was female, and the voice was obviously male), Scout taking a nap underneath a tree (or was that Reddo?), and the Lapras that was swimming in the-

Wait.

A_ Lapras_? Where would one find a _Lapras_ (of all Pokemon!) in Johto?

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" the Lapras snapped. Professor Elm sputtered, pointing at the Lapras.

"You - you - you - you can talk!" he squawked. He had heard that Pokemon were able to learn the human language, but he had never seen this phenomenon up close! The Lapras blinked.

"You know, she reacted the same way you did. Are talking Pokemon that rare?" he questioned. Professor Elm blinked, snapping out of his stupor.

"She? You mean Lyra?"

"...Agh, she never gave me her name," the Lapras replied, appearing to be in thought. "Brown hair in pigtails, marshmallow shaped hat..."

"That's Lyra!" Elm exclaimed. "Where did she find you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"She found me in some cave. I don't know the name of it, though..."

Elm blinked. A cave? Perhaps it was Union Cave - he knew for a fact that there were underground lakes in that cave. But something didn't add up...

"How are you able to talk, then? I know this is a lot of questions, but..."

"Don't worry, I'm used to it. I taught myself."

"You..._what_? With no human language to recite or anything?"

"Well...I sang a lot, and that helps a bit."

This threw Elm in for a loop. He had heard that music helped a lot with learning something - Ethan and Lyra loved to recite that 'New Math' song over - but when there was nothing to learn from? The bottom levels of Union Cave were mostly abandoned by humans! Something didn't add up...

Maybe he had a former Trainer who was a musician?

"So, um...I know Lyra likes to nickname her Pokemon, so what's your name?"

"Huh? Oh, it's Demyx."

_Demyx? Unusual name_, Elm thought as he thought of something.

_Axel, Zexion, Larxene, and now Demyx...Where in the world does Lyra get these names? _

* * *

A few days passed, and Elm was not able to find out exactly how Demyx taught himself how to speak. Lapras were highly intelligent Pokemon, so maybe a brain scan or something would do the trick? Ethan would probably help with this...

"Hey, Professor!"

_Speak of the devil,_ Elm though as he saw Ethan dash into the lab, with his Larvitar sitting on his head.

"Hello, Ethan. Did you ask Lyra about the numeral?" he asked. Ethan nodded as Demyx's ears perked at the word 'numeral'. The Larvitar seemed to look at the Lapras strangely.

"Yep," Ethan replied when Demyx (noticing the numeral on the Larvitar's horn) said, "Lexy? That's not you over there, is it?"

As the Larvitar nodded, almost stupified, Ethan started to sputter and point at the Lapras.

"You - you - you - you can talk!" he squawked, nearly falling to the ground as he did so. Lexaeus hopped off of Ethan's head and ran towards the Lapras. Elm wanted to laugh in amusement.

"That's how I reacted. And apparently Lyra reacted that way, too," he said. Ethan blinked, saying, "That explains what he's doing here. Trust Lyra to find something as cool as a Lapras."

Ethan then walked up to the Lapras, picking up Lexaeus as he did so. It was then that he noticed the numeral on the Lapras' fin.

"You're...?" he blurted. Demyx nodded, eyebrows quirking.

"You know about us, too?" he asked. Ethan nodded, apparently as surprised as Demyx.

"Lyra told me. More like she _showed_ me..." he replied, holding his head at the memory of the occasion (and the headache that followed).

"Huh. Well, I guess that's good...at least not every member's not going to just sit around here."

"Tell me about it."

This stumped Professor Elm. Member? Member of what? Did Lyra and Ethan know something that he didn't?

"Uh, Ethan?" he asked. Ethan jumped, glancing at the professor. He facepalmed.

"D'oh! Some secret keeper **I** turned out to be!" he groaned. Elm quirked an eyebrow at this.

"Secret? What secret?" he asked. Ethan groaned again, seeing no other alternative to getting out of this mess.

"Lyra's probably gonna kill me...I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone!" he exclaimed. "Lyra was nervous telling _me_ this, so you have to promise!"

"Okay, okay, I promise! What is this all about, Ethan?" Professor Elm demanded, getting a little irritated.

"Well, the thing is..." Ethan started, sitting down. He tried to think of a way to start explaining. "Crap, if we were at the Ruins of Alph this would probably be easier...See, if someone loses their heart, and if they're strong-willed, a Nobody is formed. They have a soul and a body, but lack a heart."

"That was our group in a nutshell," Demyx added. "There were thirteen of us, and the group was called Organization XIII."

"Organization XIII?" Elm asked, more to himself than to the two explaining this to him.

"Each member started to disappear, and for some reason, they've been reborn as Pokemon," Ethan said. "That's all we know, really."

"There's no proof, is there?" Elm asked, almost skeptical.

"I think there is. See this?" Demyx asked, showing his left front flipper. It was then that Elm saw the numeral IX.

"Another numeral?" he asked himself. Demyx nodded.

"We referred to each other as numbers, and the numbers must've carried over to this life," he explained. "Like Lexy over there. He was Number V, so the numeral V's on his horn."

"And remember Axel, Lyra's Quilava? He's another member. He was Number VIII, so..." Ethan started. Elm's eyes widened as he put two and two together.

"The numeral VIII's on the back of his neck!" he shouted in realization. Ethan and Demyx nodded.

"Now do you believe us? And now you see why you can't tell anyone? People would think we all were crazy!" Ethan said. Elm nodded, sighing.

"I think it's going to take a while for me to actually believe this," he said. Ethan shrugged.

"I don't blame you there. It took _Lyra_ a while to believe it, and she has most of the members we've met so far," he added.

"Rest assured, I won't tell anyone," Elm said, causing Ethan to sigh in relief.

"Good. I better call Lyra though...to let her know," the boy said, getting out his PokeGear and going towards another part of the backyard.

"You do that," Elm said, looking at the book in his hands. It was a new book he had gotten about Eevees and their evolutionary forms. He opened it to the information page about Eevee.

Demyx blinked at the picture that Elm was observing.

"Hey, one of the other members? He's one of those Pokemon," he said, gesturing towards the picture. Elm blinked, pointing at the picture.

"This one, you mean? An Eevee?"

"Yeah, that. His fur is a different color, though."

"A different...color?" Elm squeaked, slowly turning towards the Lapras.

"Yeah. Kind of a silvery-gray."

For the first time in his twenty years of being a professor, Utsugi Elm fainted. Demyx blinked as papers scattered everywhere around him.

"...Was it something I said?"

* * *

**"Professor Elm knows."**

Lyra blinked at the image of Ethan in the PokeGear.

"Knows about what?" she asked. Ethan replied, **"You know!"**

When it finally hit her, Lyra gaped. "Wha - I mean - who - HOW? He didn't go into the Ruins of Alph, did he?"

**"It was partly my fault...but your friend from Union Cave helped out a bit."**

"My friend from Union...? You don't mean**-**!"**  
**

Ethan nodded and simply pointed the PokeGear camera at the Lapras swimming in the lab lake, who waved at the PokeGear enthusiastically.

"...Demyx?" Lyra finished. Ethan nodded while Axel sighed.

_Trust Demyx to blab about something like that..._

Axel tried to think of a good thing coming out of Elm knowing, but couldn't think of any.

* * *

Annnnd that's it! Please review! _  
_


	16. Strange Whispers

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*le gasp*! _Glee_ strikes again! :D

The 3/8 episode was, for lack of a better term...super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot. If you haven't seen it, I command thee: go to Hulu and watch it! It was just like _Never Been Kissed_ in that the music was awesome, and the plot twists were freakin' _amazing_.

And then came the Ides of March episode! *sings a high G* Glee FINALLY sings original songs! And I don't know about any of you Gleeks out there, but I absolutely _**LOVED IT! **_And Kurt and Blaine were so adorable! *squeals* Again, if you haven't seen it...Hulu. NOW. Wait, not now. After you read this chapter. Or while you read...that is completely up to you.

On with the fic!

* * *

"Well, it's been a while since I've walked with you, hasn't it?" Lyra asked, glancing at the Togepi in her arms. Hoshi chirped in agreement. That stuffy lab wasn't the best of places to be...

"Now, what do you say to a visit to the Dance Theatre before the Gym Battle? That sound good?" she asked. Hoshi chirped as Lyra walked into the now open building.

The sight that greeted her put her in alarm. What was a Rocket Grunt doing here?

Said Grunt faced a lone girl on the stage. Lyra noted that she had the same exact kimono as the other two she had seen.

"Hey! HEY!" The Grunt exclaimed. "Stop dancing so...so..._seriously!_ Show me something like a hula dance!"

"...You mustn't push a request like that on me," the girl simply said. The Grunt started to jump up and down in anger.

"What? Are you saying you don't respect the customer's wishes?" he asked, starting to take center stage. "Stand aside, lady. I'll show you what real dancing is! I'll show you something great!"

The girl stepped aside, if only to get out of the way of the Grunt's flailing limbs as he _tried_ to dance. In all honesty, he looked more like he was having a seizure. The sight would have amused Lyra under different circumstances. There were different reactions to this scenario among the other three occupants of the room.

"I'd get up there and show him what for if it weren't for this pain...!" a young man moaned, clutching his stomach. Whether it was from laughing so hard or a stomachache was uncertain.

"To do such a thing to a Kimono Girl, of all people!" an old lady exclaimed, shaking her head. "Young people these days..."

"Yeah, what's the deal?" an elderly man agreed. "What's that Grunt doing to my poor Kimono Girl?"

"Um..." Lyra started. The elders jumped and noticed Lyra. The man immediately noticed the Togepi in Lyra's arms.

"Ah! You're a Trainer, right?" he asked. Upon Lyra's answer (a nod), he continued, "Please help her! I'll make it worth your while if you do!"

"Alrighty. I was going to do that anyway," Lyra replied, going up the stairs that led to the stage. As the Grunt danced, Hoshi waved his arms rhythmically. This went unnoticed until a HUGE wave of fire formed between Hoshi's hands and fired towards the Grunt, torching him.

"Hoshi!" Lyra exclaimed as the Grunt recovered, glaring at the two.

"Who are you?" he demanded, getting out a PokeBall. "Do you dare to get in my way?" He threw the PokeBall, revealing a Koffing.

Hoshi squirmed out of Lyra's arms and stood in front of her.

"You want to fight, Hoshi?" she asked. Hoshi nodded, causing Lyra to shrug. "Okay, then...use Sweet Kiss!"

Hoshi waddled up to the Koffing, pecking it on the cheek. That caused the Koffing to sputter and get semi-swirly eyes.

"Use Smog, Koffing!"

All the Koffing did was hit itself in response, causing the Grunt to swear.

"Hoshi, use Metronome!"

Hoshi waved his arms again and the move that resulted (a Thundershock) managed to dispatch the Koffing in one go.

_Well, that was easy, _Lyra thought as she cheered with Hoshi. Picking him up, Lyra heard the Grunt say, "Looks like I lost."

As he returned the Koffing, his eyes widened as he said, "Oh no! Now you made me look like the villain!"

The other occupants of the room stared at him like he had said something incredibly stupid (which he did). The Grunt snapped his fingers, saying, "Oh yeah! I have that mission to take care of! If the boss finds out I've been wasting time here, I'll really get it! I better leave!"

And with that, the Grunt ran out.

Lyra sighed, scratching Hoshi's head, to which he made a sound of contentment. More Rocket Grunts...

"You are Lyra, correct?"

Lyra turned to the Kimono Girl, nodding. The Kimono Girl smiled.

"I see. That was an excellent job. You are strong and kind...and you are good at raising Pokemon," she said, glancing at the Togepi in Lyra's arms and petting him. Hoshi sighed in contentment from all this attention he was getting.

The Kimono Girl glanced at Lyra, smiling a mysterious smile. "Yes, I see now..._that person_ knows what to look for in people," she concluded.

"Um...?"

"Do forgive me. I was lost in thought," the girl said, smiling. Lyra blinked.

"Okay. I guess I'll be seeing you," she said, getting off of the stage.

"That was quite a show!" the elderly man exclaimed. "You're so courageous for your age! It was such a sight to see! And as a token of my appreciation, I want you to have this! Don't be shy - just take it!"

Despite Lyra's protests, the man pushed a blue disc into her hands. The label said HM 03 - Surf.

"The move that this HM teaches allows Pokemon to cross large bodies of water. You'll need that to get to Cianwood City. You'll need the badge from this town's gym to use it, though," the elderly man said. Lyra nodded.

"Okay, so I'll have to beat Morty before I do anything else..." she mused. The elderly man nodded.

"In that case, let me give you some advice," he said. "If you didn't know already, Morty uses Ghost Pokemon. I suggest going into the battle with a few Normal types and a whole lot of Awakenings."

Lyra smiled.

"Thanks for the advice!" she said, walking out.

"Good luck!"

* * *

"Well, that takes care of that. Now where's the PokeMart...?" Lyra asked herself as she got out of the Dance Theatre.

_Beepbeepbeepbeep~_

Lyra answered her PokeGear and was greeted by Professor Elm.

**"Hello, Lyra!"**

"Hi, Professor! What's going on?"

**"Well...you know Ethan and your Lapras told me about...you know..."**

Lyra nodded. Ethan had called her just as she was going to the Dance Theatre.

**"Well, Demyx told me that you had gotten a Shiny Eevee. Could I...take a look at him for today? Please?"**

Lyra shrugged. She knew Professor Elm would love to meet Saix.

"Okay, I'll send him over. But I gotta warn you: Saix has a pretty short temper," Lyra replied, walking to the Pokemon Center.

**"Great! Thank you so much, Lyra! You don't know how much this means to me and my research!"**

"No problem. I was going to switch him out for Scout, anyway," Lyra said as they hung up. She sighed, putting Saix's PokeBall into the transporter.

"Please, Saix...it's only for one day. Don't kill anyone there, okay?"

* * *

"Okay, ready?" Lyra asked Scout, who was perched on her shoulder. The team had made it through the rather freaky floor arrangements (suddenly falling into an inky blackness was bad enough, but to be carried to the beginning point by a pair of Haunters?) and were ready to face Morty. Axel, Scout and Roxas pretty much breezed through the Rookie Trainers (Scout with Shadow Claw - learned from a TM Lyra found while training Roxas - and Roxas with Foresight).

Scout nodded as Lyra stepped up. Morty acknowledged her presence with a smile.

"It's good that you've come here," he said. "Pokemon have long been revered here in Ecruteak City. Legends say that a rainbow colored Pokemon will appear before a powerful and pure hearted Trainer. I have believed in that tale, so I have trained in this Gym all my life."

Lyra tilted her head. Where was he going with this?

"As a result of my training, I can now see that others cannot," Morty continued, closing his eyes. "I can see a shadow of the person the Pokemon will appear to...and I believe it's me. You are going to help me reach that level! Go, Gastly!"

At this, Morty threw a PokeBall, revealing a Gastly. Lyra returned Scout and tossed the PokeBall holding Axel.

"Gastly, use Curse!"

"Flame Wheel, Axel!"

You can guess what happened from there: the Gastly was out like a light and Axel sighed as he felt the curse zap his energy.

_What is it with Ghost Pokemon and Curse? _he thought as Morty called out a Haunter. Lyra returned Axel and sent out Scout.

"Use Shadow Claw, Scout!"

"Hypnosis!"

Scout managed to hit Haunter with the Shadow Claw, but that didn't stop the Hypnosis from putting her to sleep. Lyra groaned as she got out an Awakening and used it on Scout before Morty could give the command to use Dream Eater.

"Shadow Claw again!"

"IF that's the way you want it...Hypnosis again, Haunter!"

Scout was too fast, and so the Haunter fainted. Morty simply returned the Haunter and released...

"Another Haunter?" Lyra exclaimed. Sure enough, a second Haunter laughed menacingly at the two.

"If one is to specialize in a particular type of Pokemon, one might have to use two of the same type," Morty replied. Lyra gritted her teeth, returning Scout.

"Go for it, Roxas! Use Foresight!" she yelled, releasing the Riolu. Immediately, his eyes started to glow a bright yellow as the Haunter's body appeared more solid to him.

"Good, now use Force Palm!"

"Sucker Punch!"

Both attacks hit, paralyzing Haunter and causing Roxas to stumble. When Roxas stoody, Lyra shouted, "Now, Roxas! Use Reversal!"

"Night Shade!"

The Ghost move caused Roxas to wince and then the Riolu charged towards the Haunter and kicked the stuffing out of it. Morty returned the fainted Haunter, saying, "It's not over yet! I still believe we can do this!"

At this he released a Gengar, which grinned menacingly at the two. Lyra returned Roxas, opting for a switch in tactics.

"Go, Zexion!" she yelled, tossing the PokeBall holding the Gastly.

"A Ghost type, I see..." Morty mused, glancing at the unusually calm Gastly. This should be an interesting battle.

"Use Curse, Zexion!"

"Hypnosis!"

The Hypnosis failed to work on Zexion as the Gastly laid a curse on Gengar. Gengar winced, but other than that there was no sign of the curse sapping his energy.

"Use Shadow Ball, Gengar!"

"Dodge and use Confuse Ray!"

Zexion managed to dodge the Shadow Ball and sent a small yellow light towards the Gengar. It swirled around the larger Ghost Pokemon for a minute, causing the Gengar to get semi swirly eyes.

"Shadow Ball!"

Gengar managed to form the Shadow Ball and hit Zexion with it. Zexion fainted as a result. Lyra sighed, returning the Ghost Type.

"Good job, Zexion. You deserve a good rest," she said, releasing Larxene.

"Use Taunt!"

_"Hey, fatty! I bet you can't hit me **or **my teammates, you must be so slow!"_

Anger tics appeared on Gengar's forehead as he glared at the smug Pichu, simultaneously snapping out of confusion.

"Thundershock!"

"Use Shadow Ball!"

Before Larxene could even use Thundershock, Shadow Ball hit, causing Larxene to faint. Lyra bit her lip, returning the Pichu.

"Thanks, Larxene. You helped a lot. You deserve this," she said. Now Gengar couldn't use Hypnosis or anything that wasn't offensive.

"Go for it, Scout!" she yelled, releasing the Furret. She seemed ready to go.

"Pretty clever. I can't use Hypnosis or Shadow Ball. But not good enough! Use Sucker Punch, Gengar!"

"Shadow Claw, Scout!"

Sucker Punch managed to hit Scout, and same with Shadow Claw on Gengar. Neither of the two fainted, however. Gengar got up and munched on the Sitrus Berry it held in its hand.

"Sucker Punch again!"

...And now Scout was out like a light. Lyra gulped as she returned Scout. Now there was Axel, Roxas, and Hoshi.

"Maybe...Go for it, Hoshi!" she yelled. Hoshi chirped, ready to battle.

"Sucker Punch!"

"Dodge and use Metronome!"

Hoshi managed to dance out of Sucker Punch's way as he waved his arms again. Lyra prayed for a good move. She got her wish when a huge gust of icy wind started to blow in the Gym.

"A Blizzard? Wow, I'm getting lucky with Metronome today," Lyra commented as Gengar fainted as a result.

"How is that possible...?" Morty asked, returning Gengar. Lyra cheered, picking up Hoshi and jumping up and down. Hoshi chirped happily.

"I don't think our separate potentials are that different, Lyra," Morty said, getting the two's attention. "But there seems to be something more about you...So be it. This Badge is yours."

As he said that he handed Lyra a badge that looked somewhat like a ghost. "The Fog Badge allows the use of Surf outside of battle. Also, traded Pokemon up to level fifty will obey you without question. And take this," Morty said, handing Lyra a disc entitled TM 30.

"It's Shadow Ball," Morty said. "Sometimes that move will lower the opponent's Special Defense a bit."

Lyra nodded, starting to walk off. She said, "Thanks a lot! I should probably get...WAAH!"

She screamed as she stumbled into the pit. As the two Haunters carried her to the beginning, Morty sweatdropped slightly.

_Is she always this accident prone? _he thought.

* * *

"Well guys, tomorrow we'll head to Olivine City. Then we'll get Demyx to take us to Cianwood. Sound like a plan?" she asked her Pokemon. They were at the Pokemon Center room, since it had gotten dark (and as promised, Lyra got Saix back).

The six Pokemon nodded as Lyra called her mother. As the mother-daughter duo chatted, Hoshi waddled up to Larxene.

_"Hey, Big Sister! I did really good in the fight! I made that meanie Gengar faint!" _he exclaimed. The Pichu's eyebrow quirked.

_"Did you? I guess you're not that weak after all,"_ she replied, smirking.

_"Big Sister?" _Hoshi asked, tilting his head to the side._  
_

_"Don't let it bother you too much, Hoshi," _Zexion said, floating up to the two. _  
_

_"Yeah," _Roxas added, having overheard the conversation. _"That's just a 'Larxene compliment'."  
_

_"And what's that supposed to mean?"_ Larxene demanded, sending warning sparks the Riolu's way. Roxas jumped out of the way while Hoshi looked about ready to cry.

_"Big Sister, please don't hurt Roxy! He's my friend!" _Hoshi pleaded. Larxene twitched, but complied with the wishes of her 'little brother'. Axel and Saix wanted to laugh at this. Axel did and said, _"That was so nice of you, sissy! Now can you..." _He was cut off by Larxene using Thundershock on him. Hoshi giggled at the sight. Roxas glanced at Zexion and Saix.

_"...how can Larxene hurting me make Hoshi cry, but seeing Axel getting shocked makes him happy?" _he asked.

_"I don't really know for sure..." _Zexion replied.

_"But I don't really care," _Saix added. _"Seeing Axel getting shocked amuses me."_

Axel, having recovered from getting shocked, blew a raspberry at Saix, causing every PokeMember (minus Larxene) to laugh. Lyra, having just finished her conversation, observed the sight.

_"You have talent, Lyra."_

_"There seems to be something more about you..."_

_I don't know why, _Lyra thought. _But I can't help but feel a little confused. What's this 'something more' about me?_

_Arceus...when will I find out?  
_

* * *

Soooo...

No flamey please?


	17. The Icing on the Cake

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Yay, I finally updated! That stupid error is GONE! :D

Oh, I don't know if you've seen it yet, but I've started a novelization of Pokemon Emerald. You should check it out. Just a thought. :)

On with the fic!

* * *

"I don't think I've ever walked with you, Zexion," Lyra said as she walked down the Route, the Ghost Pokemon floating behind her. Zexion shook his head and squinted at the sunlight.

_Probably because I usually walk around in the daytime, _Lyra thought with a frown. _Zexion's probably not used to the sunlight just yet. _

"Don't worry. You've seen other Gastly out in the sunlight. Remember Silver's Gastly?" she asked. Zexion nodded when they caught sight of an elderly man in a brown suit. He immediately noticed Lyra and spotted the PokeDex hanging from her belt.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, walking up to Lyra. "Is that what they call a PokeDex?"

Lyra nodded, wondering where he was going with this. Zexion eyed the man cautiously.

"Wow! I haven't seen one of those in ages! My name is Baoba!" he exclaimed, shaking Lyra's hand enthusiastically. The handshake caught Lyra off guard with its force.

"I'm Lyra," she replied. When Baoba stopped shaking her hand, he said, "I used to run the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City, but it had become out of date with the new entertainment options coming out. So I decided to move here to Johto to learn about the new technologies and create a Safari Zone here. So yes, those rumors you might have heard are definitely true."

Lyra grinned at this. A new Safari Zone! That had to be one of the greatest things in...forever!

"It may be Arceus' blessing that we're chatting right now, Lyra," Baoba continued. "Why don't we register each other's numbers in the PokeGear? I can give you a call when it opens up before anyone else!" He said this last sentence in sing-song. Lyra instantly nodded as the two registered numbers.

"That's the way!" Baoba exclaimed when the exchange process was finished. "I'll call you when it's ready!"

With that the old man walked off. Zexion glanced at Lyra. Lyra noticed this glance and said, "Oh, come on. You gotta admit that's pretty cool. We might meet one of the PokeMembers in that Safari Zone."

As he followed Lyra into Olivine City, Zexion had to admit Lyra had a point.

* * *

The first thing the two saw when they wandered into Olivine City was the colorful triangular flags that decorated the city.

The second was the Olivine Gym.

The third was a certain redhead walking out of the Gym, a scowl on his face. Silver almost immediately noticed Lyra and sighed.

"You again?" he groaned. Lyra huffed as Zexion floated in front of her, ready to fight.

"There's no need to be so alert," Silver snapped. "I said in the Burnt Tower that I don't deal with wimps like you anymore."

Lyra blinked, but before she got the chance to say anything, Silver continued, "Speaking of weaklings...if you're looking for a fight with Olivine's Gym Leader, you're out of luck. She's taking care of a sick Pokemon in the Lighthouse."

Lyra blinked. "Oh...well, that's nice of her..." she said.

"Boo-hoo, I say! Just let sick Pokemon go!" he snapped. Before Lyra could reply, Silver said, "Why don't you go make yourself useful and train at the Lighthouse? Maybe your stupid Gastly will finally evolve."

With that, Silver walked around Lyra and out of the city. Lyra blinked, turning towards Zexion. The Ghost-Type had taken to glaring at the redhead.

"Come on, let's get to the Lighthouse. Silver does have a point: I haven't trained with you in a while. And besides, he can't be all that bad...he didn't push me out of his way this time," she said as she and Zexion meandered towards the Lighthouse.

* * *

"Finally...no more...Trainers!" Lyra exclaimed a few hours later, having crawled up a ladder. She plopped to the floor, tuckered out. Lyra and Zexion had just gone through endless Pokemon battles in the Lighthouse (Lyra only switching Zexion out when there was a disadvantage danger). Zexion floated up after her. Then the Ghost-Type felt a strange tingling sensation. He could see light at the corners of his eyes...was this evolving?

When the light dimmed, Lyra grinned, saying, "You're a Haunter now, Zexion! That's awesome."

"Congratulations."

Lyra shot up to see a young woman with long brown hair and a white sundress. She was sitting next to a rather sickly pale Ampharos, who coughed. The pigtailed brunette scrambled to her feet, saying, "Uh...sorry! You must be the Gym Leader! I didn't know you were here...no wait, I _did_ know, but I didn't think I made it to the final floor! I mean..." Lyra sweatdropped. She must've been so mad at Silver that she momentarily forgot about the sick Pokemon!

"It's quite alright. Not many people can get up here. I'm impressed," the woman said politely. "My name is Jasmine, by the way." Lyra smiled as she gave her name, and then glanced at the Ampharos.

"It's breathing is labored," she noted, noting the small movements it made.

"Yes...this Pokemon has always lit the sea at night. But now it's sick...I know there is a wonderful pharmacy in Cianwood," Jasmine said. "But that's across the sea, and I can't leave Amphy alone at a time like this..."

_Here it comes..._Zexion thought, knowing what Jasmine was going to say next.

"...May I ask you to get some medicine in Cianwood for me? Please?" Jasmine asked Lyra. The smaller brunette nodded, causing Jasmine to smile. She then walked up the the nearby door and unlocked it. "Thank you so much," the Gym Leader said.

As Lyra grinned, promising she was going to get the medicine, Zexion rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Hey, Lyra!"

Lyra turned to see Ethan running towards her. When he stopped, he gasped for air.

"Thank Arceus I found you! Listen, I found another memb..." he started. Lyra clamped her hand over Ethan's mouth before he could say anything else. She then dragged him to an abandoned spot on the nearby beach and removed her hand.

"Another PokeMember?" she asked. Ethan nodded, replying, "Yeah. I gotta tell you though...For having only one eye he's got one hell of a shot."

"A shot? Can we see?" Lyra asked. Zexion was intruiged at this. If he had - as Ethan had said - a hell of a shot, he _had_ to be Xigbar. What kind of Pokemon would have the capabilities to shoot things at people?

Ethan enlarged a PokeBall and released a sea-horse like Pokemon into the ocean. True to Zexion's theory, the numeral _II_ rested on the Horsea's right eye, which remained closed.

_"Hello, Xigbar," _Zexion said. The Horsea glaced at Zexion and did a double-take when he noticed the numeral VI on the Haunter's forehead.

_"Zex?" _he asked. When Zexion nodded, he groaned. _"Man, you get this freaky but cool form of yours, while I'm a stupid cute horse thing! I'm not supposed to be cute! It ruins my image!"_

_"You should see Larxene," _Zexion deadpanned, grabbing her PokeBall from Lyra's belt and pressing the button. When Larxene was released, she immediately saw the Horsea.

_"XIGBAR?"_ she shrieked, giving the cute Water Pokemon an incredulous look. She started laughing.

_"LARXENE?" _Xigbar screeched back, laughing at the Electric-type's cute form. Lyra then released the other PokeMembers (figuring they'd want to see Xigbar) and showed the list to Ethan.

"Okay, since we seem to be bumping into PokeMembers, want me to make you a copy of this list?" she asked, watching as Axel and Roxas started to laugh hysterically at the Freeshooter's Pokemon form.

"Eh, why not?" Ethan asked as Xigbar proceeded to aim a Bubblebeam at previously mentioned Quilava and Riolu. Ethan immediately brightened.

"Hey! I found this new ice-cream place in Olivine before I caught Xigbar! It's called Toon Ices, and it's all-you-can-eat. They let Pokemon eat in there, too! You know what that means?" he asked, grinning. Lyra grinned back. When they were younger, the two would have several conversations over ice-cream. Sometimes they'd recommend different flavors to each other and talk, sometimes they'd have ice-cream eating contests.

"Let's go!"

* * *

Axel thought he had a big appetite. He ate everything that there was to find in the Castle that Never Was. Every day he'd have a bar of sea-salt ice cream or two with Roxas. Everyone in the Organization agreed that he had a rather large appetite.

He had absolutely _nothing_ on the tag team of Lyra and Ethan.

"Lyra, you should try this Goofy Parfait someday...it's really good!" Ethan exclaimed, scooping his spoon into a swirling bowl of ice cream.

"Not now, Ethan, I'm savoring this Milky Way. It's like having sugar-flavored fluff in your mouth!" Lyra moaned, loving the delicate taste of her ice cream.

"I gotta say, this place has really creative ice cream flavors. Have you tried Royalberry?"

"Yeah, it had a really cool sour/sweet mix. I was surprised! The names are unique, too."

"I know, like Fabracadabra? You definitely should try that one...it's really fruity!"

"Just as soon as I finish this Vanilla Glitz, okay?"

"Okay. In the meantime, I guess I'll have this Double Crunch!"

Sighing, Axel munched on his ice cream. Sure, the flavors were pretty cool (if the spicy flavor of the Bueno Volcano was any evidence), and so were the names...but he realized that he missed eating sea-salt ice cream with Roxas.

_"Something wrong, Axel?" _Roxas asked as he munched on his own Double Crunch. Axel grinned at the Riolu.

_"It's nothing, Roxy."_

* * *

Larxene loved her ice cream. Spark Lemon, the perfect name for the sourest ice cream she had ever encountered.

_"Hey, Big Sister? How's your ice cream?" _Hoshi asked, munching on the Honeybunny served to him in a bowl.

_"Really sour, kiddo. You wouldn't like it."_

_"Can I try? Please?"_

_"...oh, all right. But just one taste!"_

Hoshi ate a small portion of Larxene's ice cream. _  
_

_"Omnomnom...mmm! It's so sour!"_ Hoshi exclaimed, making a face.

_"I told you!"_

* * *

Zexion had to admit, he was impressed. For all their worthlessness (not being able to run without a certain pair of shoes), humans were pretty creative in this world. His ice cream was somewhat fizzy and salty. It did resemble Sora's duck friend, but the Ghost type was willing to overlook that.

Meanwhile, Saix observed the ice cream he had been brought. It looked somewhat like Maleficent's crony. What was his name...Pete? Shrugging, he bit into the ice cream, enjoying the chestnut flavor.

As Lexaeus munched on his Rockin' Crunch, he glanced at the Horsea next to him.

_"...Why didn't you get any?" _he asked Xigbar.

_"I'm just not in the mood, Lex," _Xigbar snapped. _"Not like I can eat ice cream in this stupid form." _

Lexaeus rolled his eyes. It appeared Xigbar wasn't used to being a Pokemon yet.

Xigbar remembered those flavors. He wasn't sure if Zexion or Lexaeus remembered them, but he did. That old duck had undergone a interworld ice cream chain with his three nephews. As a a result, these same flavors started to sell outrageously all over Radiant Garden and several different worlds. Oh sure, that was all gone when Radiant Garden became Hollow Bastion, but he had heard that a few precious employees survived the original attack...maybe that business would start again here?

...Nah.

* * *

About an hour later, Ethan grinned. That Vanilla Glitz he just finished off was really good! Lyra was right: he really loved it.

He glanced at Lyra, who was finishing the Double Crunch he had recommended for her. He grinned, remembering all the previous times they had eaten ice cream together like this. In fact, that was kinda how Lyra got to warm up to him. When she moved into New Bark, Ethan instantly offered her some strawberry ice cream. They got into an argument as to which flavor was better (Lyra defending chocolate) until Lyra's mother recommended that they have both flavors. It's been that way ever since.

"Think we can stomach one more?" Ethan asked, as Lyra took the last bite of her ice cream.

"Yes, indeedy. We should get the same flavor, though," she said, eying the bowl that held the Fabracadabra she had eaten before the Double Crunch.

"And it has to be something we haven't tried yet. Hmmm...How about this?" Ethan said, grabbing two ice cream sticks. After he paid for them, he gave one to Lyra. She examined the lettering printed on the wrapper.

"Sea-salt ice cream?"

Roxas and Axel's heads shot up at the mentioning. They glanced at each other, and then at the ice-cream Lyra had unwrapped. She bit into the blue ice cream.

"It's salty!" she exclaimed as Ethan bit into his. His eyes widened at the onslaught of taste.

"Mmm...Yeah! But then it turns sweet!" he exclaimed, causing Roxas and Axel to grin. They immediately ran up to Lyra, gesturing wildly at the ice cream in her hand.

"Guys! Hey!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping her ice cream. Ethan smiled, realizing what the two Pokemon were trying to say.

"I think they want some. Hang on," he said, getting four more ice creams (seeing Mizu and Rita looking at the blue ice cream longingly). Lyra smiled, returning her Pokemon except for Axel and Roxas. When Ethan returned Lexaeus and Xigbar.

* * *

The five munched happily on their sea-salt ice cream as they walked along the city. Rita (previously known as Chikorita) munched happily on the ice cream, holding it up with Vine Whip. Axel was ecstatic. This was just like old times...only a helluva lot better! When the five finished their ice creams, Axel hopped onto a nearby fence facing the ocean.

_"Hey, watch out, Axel! If you fall into the water, I am **not** saving you!" _Roxas laughed as Axel started to balance himself on the fence the five were at. Mizu huffed her agreement. Axel gasped dramatically.

_"Roxy! You wouldn't save me? I'm hurt!" _he cried, faking hurt_. _Roxas shook his head, along with Mizu.

_"I don't get it, Roxas...I mean, Ethan told me and Rita about your whole PokeMember situation, but stilll...how in the name of Arceus did **that one** become your best friend?" _Mizu asked. Rita nodded in agreement. Roxas' only answer was a shrug and a grin.

Meanwhile, Lyra leaned over the same fence, pointing out into the horizon.

"Hey, look at the ships over there!" she exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. Ethan laughed at her antics. She could be so childish sometimes!

"Lyra, I swear! Don't lean out so far! If you fall into the water, don't think I'm gonna come save you!" he teased. Lyra grinned back at him.

"Ethan, you don't mean that! You love me too much!" she chirped.

She turned back to watching the ships docking in Olivine, so she didn't see Ethan freeze in his tracks. She didn't see Ethan blush slightly, looking at his feet in almost embarrassment/realization.

_Love?_

It was true: Ethan loved Lyra, but up until then he always assumed it was like an older brother. But with that grin of hers flashing in his mind, coupled with some weird fluttery sensation as he watched her watching the boats...there was no doubt.

**_Crap! _**

"U-Uh, Mizu, Rita! I just remembered...I have to be somewhere right now!" he exclaimed. Mizu, Rita and Lyra gave him a questioning look. "You know, Mizu! That place! The place with the thing and the...stuff! Yeah. Remember?"

Mizu finally realized what was going on (_Holy Arceus he's finally realized it!)_ as she and Rita ran up to Ethan. He returned Mizu and grinned at Lyra.

"See ya, Ly! Sorry to leave on such short notice!" he exclaimed, running off as fast as he could.

"Ethan, wait!" Lyra exclaimed, watching as her best friend ran off. She glanced at Axel and Roxas, feeling a little sad. "I don't get it, guys...why's everyone acting so weird around me? Even Ethan's acting strange...Maybe he's sick?"

Roxas facepalmed while Axel wanted to laugh. The more time they spent with Lyra, the more similarities between her and Sora they found: first the personality, then the clothes, and now the Kingdom Hearts damned obliviousness.

* * *

Ethan ran as far as he could run. He didn't know how long he was running for, or how far exactly, but he soon got his answer when he finally stopped. Panting, he looked around the Route he was in. There was the Day Care over there, so he must be in Route 34.

"Wow...I must've...run pretty far," he said, sitting down on the ground. Rita collapsed at Ethan's feet, giving him a withering look. Ethan chuckled, petting the Bayleef.

"Sorry, Rita. I'm just really confused," he said as Rita seemed to purr in contentment. He smiled, thinking about today's events.

He felt bad for running off on Lyra. Maybe he should call her and...No! He had to sort out these emotions first! Focus Ethan,_ focus!_

Rita, hearing the rustling of grass, looked up curiously. Ethan followed her gaze to find...

* * *

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! Doncha just love cliffhangers? =D

No flamey please?


	18. A Walk in Andante

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Okay, so who here likes Owl City? *raises hand* I've been listening to the previews for _All Things Bright and Beautiful_ that he just put up. I'm looking forward to hearing _Dreams Don't Turn to Dust_.

I'm glad everyone likes the ice cream from last chapter! That was my favorite part to write out. :)

And a reviewer asked me if this is going to follow SoulSilver or HeartGold. You'll find out in this chapter. That alone should give you the answer.

On with the fic!

* * *

Lyra yawned, rising out of bed. She winced as the sunlight hit her face as she slowly got up. After she went to the bathroom, cleaned herself up and got dressed, she opened the window. The smell of the sea breezed into the room, causing the pigtailed girl to sigh.

Guess what her mind was still on?

_Should I be mad that Ethan ran off like that? _she thought. _I mean, it was pretty sudden...but maybe he really **did** have somewhere to be. _

Lyra became a little sadder as she thought, _But it really doesn't help that everyone's acting so weird around me. First the Kimono Girls, then Morty, and now Ethan! _

Feeling something nudge her leg, she looked down and saw Roxas and Hoshi looking up at her in concern. She turned around and saw her other Pokemon watching her, something like concern in their eyes. Larxene still smirked at her, though.

Lyra sighed, smiling. She still had her Pokemon. Even if people treated her weirdly, her Pokemon would be there.

"Sorry for worrying you, guys," she said, squatting down and petting Roxas and Hoshi. As the two sighed in contentment, Lyra said, "Now come on. We gotta get Demyx from Professor Elm's lab. But first..."

She got her PokeGear and called Ethan. When she was greeted with, **"Hi, this is Ethan Arum. Leave a message at the tone!"**

"Ethan," Lyra said when the tone sounded, "it's Lyra. Call me back, okay?"

When she hung up, she returned everyone and went towards the computer.

* * *

After Demyx had been exchanged (this time for Zexion), Lyra walked to the beach and released Demyx from his PokeBall. When the Lapras looked around, he grinned.

"Hi, Lyra!" he cheered.

"Hey, Demyx," she replied, trying to ignore the stunned faces of any passerby. "Can you take me to Cianwood City? It's on the other side of this ocean."

Demyx nodded, saying, "Sure! Just hop on!"

Lyra pulled up her pants legs and took off her shoes, so they wouldn't get wet. She then cautiously climbed on Demyx's gray back. She yelped when Demyx took off.

After a few minutes, she started to enjoy this ride. To say the very least, it was really fun. The risk of falling off and getting soaked with each wave was exhilarating.

Demyx seemed to agree.

"I don't think I've had this much fun since that fight with Sora!" he said, grinning as the waves caused the Lapras to bob up and down. Lyra blinked.

"Who's Sora?" she asked.

"What, nobody told you about _Sora_?" Demyx asked skeptically. "I figured he would be the first thing the others told you about. Anyways, Sora wields a Keyblade - and yes, it looks like it sounds - and he's a heck of a good fighter. I guess Roxas got that from him."

"Roxas? What does he have to do with this Sora person?" Lyra asked, interested.

"Roxas is - or was - Sora's Nobody. Of course, I didn't know what when Xemnas gave me the mission to liberate Roxas..."

Lyra blinked at this. "Woah, woah, woah! Back up. Roxas was Sora's Nobody?"

"Well...yeah. Sora lost his heart, and Roxas was born," Demyx said, doing the Lapras equivalent of a shrug. "I don't really know _all_ of the details, though..."

"And you had to fight this Sora?" Lyra asked. Demyx sweatdropped a bit.

"I don't know what Zexy and the others told you when you were in that Replica Room," he said, "but we _were_ kinda the bad guys. Being 'heartless' and all. I mean, sure, most of us terrorized people, and I had to steal something. Sora got the object back, but we did them for the same reason: we wanted our hearts back."

Lyra mulled this over. Things just got a little more complicated. Lyra figured they were the bad guys a while ago - if Larxene and Siax were any evidence - but still...

If they only wanted their hearts, they really shouldn't be condemned...right?

It was then that they passed four small islands. Demyx blinked at the sight of them.

"Hey, what are these islands?" he asked. Lyra blinked.

"These must be the Whirl Islands," she replied. "There's a rumor about a Pokemon named Lugia sleeping deep within this cave. Sometimes I wonder if it's true."

Lyra closed her eyes, her mind drifting towards the silver Pokemon. Deep within the water's depths, completely silent except for the Pokemon's breathing...waiting to be freed...but by...who...

* * *

_**"Lyra...? Lyra!"**_

When Lyra's eyes snapped open, she saw Demyx looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"What happened...? Did I sleep all day?" she asked, looking around. Sure enough, it was dark, and the moon hung high in the sky. Demyx nodded, saying, "You fell asleep when you told me about that Pokemon in the Whirl Islands. You must've been really tired."

Rather groggily, Lyra hopped off of Demyx's back, thinking about renting a room at the Pokemon Center and taking care of everything tomorrow. She was still a little sleepy... When she put her sneakers back on and fixed her pants legs, she said, "Thanks, Dem."

"No problem. Anything to be out of that stuffy lab," he said, shivering. "Sure, the lake over there is nice, but still..."

"I think I get what you mean," Lyra said. "Axel, Hoshi, and Saix didn't like the lab either. The only reason I put Zexion into the lab this time is because I figured he'd like it."

"Zexy _would_ enjoy that lab," Demyx replied, grinning. "I remember when he would help Vexen with some of his experiments."

"Vexen's one of the other members, right?" Lyra asked. Demyx nodded, before seeing a blue-and-purple something in the distance.

"Hey, what's that?" he asked, gesturing to what he saw. Lyra followed his gaze and noticed it. Her breath hitched in her throat as she ran up to the creature, Demyx following.

"Suicune...?" she asked, stopping about twenty feet from the legendary. Almost as if in response, Suicune dashed around Lyra (much like it did in the Burned Tower) and stopped in front of the pigtailed girl. It roared and took off, its paws barely touching the waves of the ocean.

"That was...Suicune, right?" Demyx asked, almost in awe. When Lyra glanced at the Lapras in confusion, he said, "Ethan told me about what happened in your journey since you caught me. But man...seeing it and hearing about it are two completely different things."

Lyra nodded in agreement, thinking about what had just happened. _Is everyone treating me strangely...because of Suicune? What's going on?_

"Yo, Lyra! Interesting Lapras you got there!"

Lyra jumped as she heard the somewhat familiar voice. Eusine walked up to her and said, "That was Suicune just now, wasn't it? I caught a glimpse, but I think I saw it running on the waves."

When Lyra nodded, Eusine sighed dreamily. "Suicune is a grand Pokemon. It races through town and Routes at speeds that could make your head spin. It's wonderful...I've decided. I'll battle you as a Trainer to earn Suicune's respect!"

"Huh?" Lyra asked as Eusine tossed a PokeBall, revealing a Drowzee.

"Uh, okay...Demyx, use Surf!"

"Hypnosis!"

Demyx created a large wave that hit the Drowzee. Due to the movement that was involved in making the wave, Demyx was unaffected by Hypnosis.

"Now use Water Pulse!"

"Confusion!"

Drowzee sent a wave of Psychic energy at the Lapras. Then Demyx sent blue rings the Drowzee's way, causing the Psychic type to faint. Eusine returned Drowzee and took out another PokeBall.

"Go for it, Electrode!" he yelled. The circular Electric Type grinned at the Water type, who looked around nervously.

"Uh, Lyra?" he asked nervously. Lyra nodded, returning the Water/Ice type and releasing Axel.

"Rollout, Electrode!"

"Use Flame Wheel!

When Rollour missed, Axel charged at the Electrode, the attack burning it.

"Good! Flame Wheel again!"

"Now use Thunder!"

This time the Electrode's attack hit Axel, nearly knocking him out. Lyra returned him and sent out Saix, seeing that the Electrode probably wouldn't take much more.

"Saix, Quick Attack!"

"Sonicboom!"

Saix nimbly dodged the attack and collided with Electrode. Another hit from the burn and the Electrode was out.

"Good job, Saix!" Lyra said. Saix smirked when he was surrounded by a certain light. When the light dimmed, his fur had become completely black, and where an Umbreon would have yellow rings, Saix had blue.

"You're an Umbreon now!" Lyra cheered. Eusine smiled, returning Electrode.

"Congrats," he said. "But we still have a battle to clear up. Haunter, go!"

A Haunter laughed menacingly at the two as it emerged from its PokeBall. Lyra smirked: this one was in the bag.

"Bite, Saix!"

"Curse!"

Saix bit into the Haunter's hand, causing the Ghost type to yelp in pain. It drove the customary nail into itself, placing a curse on the newly evolved Umbreon.

"Use Bite again!"

"Mean Look!"

Saix only bit deeper into the Haunter, causing it to faint. Eusine groaned, returning Haunter.

"I hate to admit it, but you're good," he said. "I think I understand why Suicune's so interested in you. I'm going to keep searching, so I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again. Bye!"

And with that, Eusine walked off. Lyra glanced at Saix.

"Well, it's great that you've evolved," she told him. "But for now, let's get to the Pokemon Center. It's right by the shoreline, so Demyx should like it there."

* * *

"I guess tomorrow we face Chuck," Lyra said when they entered the room. It had a porch that was next to the sea, so that Demyx would be able to stretch his fins.

"Wow, Saix!" Demyx exclaimed, awestruck at Saix's new fur color. "I saw in Professor Elm's lab that some shiny Pokemon color schemes are kinda lame, but your look is really cool! It suits you."

_"Thank you," _Saix replied, smiling. _"I like it myself."_

_"I don't get it, Demyx," _Axel said, thinking about what Demyx told them happened. _"How could Lyra fall asleep for an entire day? She's never done that in the time I've known her."_

_"Yeah, something doesn't add up," _Larxene said. _"Is that all she told you about it? That it was sleeping?"_

Demyx nodded. "Lyra said it was sleeping in the bottom of the ocean and then she drifted off. I don't know why."

_"Mommy has a pwetty silver soul, that's why!" _Hoshi said cheerfully. The other four Pokemon looked at him in confusion.

_"Well, I don't know if I'd call it pretty, Hoshi," _Roxas said. _"But Lyra's aura **is** a bit different from other humans I've seen so far. Sure, her aura changes with her emotions like everyone else's, but there's a permanent layer of silver underneath it all."_

"Lyra said that the sleeping Pokemon was silver," Demyx mused.

_"So does that mean Lyra's connected to this Pokemon?" _Axel said.

_"I can't say for sure," _Roxas said.

_"Whatever the case, meeting this Pokemon - if we meet it at all - should be interesting,"_ Saix said, smirking.

Meanwhile, Lyra yawned, scrambling into bed.

"Good night, guys," she murmured before drifting off into sleep.

Why was she so tired right now? Why...

* * *

_The silver Pokemon felt a stir in the sea. It felt several stirs, from when Trainers would go to and from Cianwood to Olivine and back. But this was a special stir. A stir that could only mean one thing...  
_

_A connection was made with a silver-souled Trainer.  
_

* * *

Yes, it's going to follow SoulSilver. Mainly because that's the game I _don't_ have. And that silver's my favorite color. Haha.

But seriously, I had been thinking about it mainly following SoulSilver for a while. It could be the influence of another novelization of the game that I read, maybe I just wanted it to be different from HeartGold, I dunno.

But I like what I did with this. Since Lugia is a psychic type, I figured it would automatically make a connection with the one that's supposed to set it free.

Again, any mistake I make, please point them out.

No flamey please?


	19. Always On My Mind

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

You are going to love me in this chapter, I guarantee it. Read on to find out. :D

On with the fic!

* * *

At the crack of dawn, Lyra jumped out of bed with a huge grin. It looked like taking a nice, long rest had given her the energy she needed! That Gym Leader better watch out today! Her six Pokemon jolted out of their slumber and stared at their newly energetic Trainer.

"Okay, guys! First I'm gonna stock up on Hyper Potions," she said, "and then I'm gonna go to that Pharmacy to get the medicine for Amphy, and _then_ Imma beat that Gym Leader! WOO!"

The PokeMembers looked at each other.

_"...How'd she get so energetic?" _Roxas asked.

_"Yeah, it's like somebody slipped a Hyper into her water last night. What gives?" _Larxene asked, glancing pointedly at Axel, who glared back.

_"Wasn't me. I don't even **know** what a Hyper is, Larxene," _he retorted. Whistling, Lyra returned everybody except for Roxas and skipped towards the computer.

Roxas sighed. This was going to be an interesting day.

* * *

"Hello, how may I help you?" the shop owner asked when Lyra barged in.

"Listen, we need your best medicine!" Lyra exclaimed, slamming her hands onto the table. The shopkeeper looked at Roxas.

"May I ask why? Your Pokemon appears fine," he said, gesturing towards the Riolu. Lyra shook her head vigorously.

"It's not for my Pokemon!" she replied. "The Pokemon at the Olivine Lighthouse is sick, and it's _really_ bad, I mean its breathing is labored and it's a deathly pale and...!" Lyra started. The shopkeeper, having gotten the medicine at the word 'sick,' waved his arms to grab Lyra's attention.

"Calm down! Here's the medicine for that poor Pokemon," he said, giving Lyra medicine. "This should do the trick. I only offer it in an emergency like this. "

Lyra grinned: One mission down, one to go! "Okay, thanks a lot, mister!" she cheered, pumping her fist.

The shopkeeper blinked, and then glanced at the Riolu. "Is she always like this?" he asked.

_Trust me, _Roxas wanted to say, _This is one of her** good** days._

Instead he simply shrugged.

* * *

Lyra and Roxas were at the nearby beach, with Hoshi blinking up at his 'mommy'.

And why was Hoshi also out, you may ask? And why didn't Lyra put him in the Lab?

Well...

"Alrighy, Hosh," Lyra said, crouching down to meet the little Togepi, "you wanna evolve into a Togetic, right?"

Hoshi chirped happily. Admittedly, he was getting tired of just being a Togepi. He wanted to_ fly_, darn it! He could only do that when he evolves into a Togetic!

"Okay, then! Let's get training!" Lyra said cheerfully. Hoshi chirped while Roxas smiled.

* * *

_How is it that we've trained for two hours and he hasn't evolved yet? _Roxas thought as he observed the progress they had made. Sure, Hoshi learned a new move (Wish, he believed it was called), but sadly, Hoshi didn't evolve yet.

"Huh? That's strange..." Lyra said, her energy dwindling as Hoshi looked on his still babyish form with sadness, "At what level do you evolve, anyway?"

At this she took out the PokeDex, which chirped: **"Togepi, the Spike Ball Pokemon. It is believed that happiness will be bestowed to whoever can make a sleeping Togepi stand up. This Pokemon evolves into Togetic when it is at the peak of happiness."**

Lyra, Roxas and Hoshi all blinked at this bit of information.

_"You're not happy, Hoshi?" _Roxas asked. Hoshi pouted, spinning around.

_"Well...I like being with Mommy and all, but I wanna battle a bit more!" _he said. _"Making that meanie Gengar faint all by myself was the best feeling in the world!"_

_"I bet it was," _Roxas said, smiling. _"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure Lyra'll think of something. It looks like she's out of that energy high now."_

"Hmmmm..." Lyra mulled, thinking the scenario over. "Well...I'm pretty sure that there were a few Swimmers in that ocean Route Demyx and I went through. Why don't we work on your training a bit more, Hoshi?"

Hoshi chirped, causing Lyra to smile. She released Demyx and told them the scenario.

"Hoshi, _you're_ not happy?" Demyx asked skeptically.

_"I just wanna battle more often!"_ Hoshi huffed. Demyx sighed, relaying this to Lyra.

"Okay, so it looks like I made a good choice..." Lyra said as she got on. Demyx leaned out his neck so Hoshi and Roxas could sit on his head.

"Let's go!"

* * *

Lyra held Hoshi in her arms as they made their way towards the Cianwood Gym. Hoshi was still a Togepi, even after all the fighting he did! It wasn't fair!

"Come on, Hoshi! I know you didn't evolve yet, but don't worry! I'm letting you fight now, so you gotta be close!" Lyra said, trying to comfort the little Togepi.

It was true, Hoshi had observed. There was a strange, bubbly feeling in the pit of his stomach that wasn't there before...maybe he was close to evolving?

"Regardless, I think I'm going to let you out at least once during the Gym fights," she said. "But I'm going to have to return you just as soon. You get experience for fighting and we don't risk knocking you out. You're a Normal Pokemon, so...yeah. Sound good?"

Hoshi chirped. As long as he got experience from fighting, how could he say no?

* * *

It was quite an unusual sight.

Entering the Gym, Lyra expected punching bags. She expected Black Belts beating the crap out of said punching bags as Chuck tosses boulders to and fro as she had heard him to be able to. She expected burly Machokes and nimble members of the Hitmon family training alongside their Trainers.

She did _not_ expect to be greeted by a giant waterfall crashing onto the meditating Gym Leader.

"...Huh?" Lyra asked. It was...not really what she expected.

"Hey, Chuck's training at the moment!" one of the Rookies yelled at her.

"_This_ is training?" she asked skeptically. The Rookie shrugged, replying, "Apparently. He said this was mental training."

Lyra huffed. "Is there any chance I could battle him? I'm kinda in a hurry!" she yelled back.

"You could turn these switches over there," he said. "But you'll have to go through all of us first!"

Lyra glanced at Hoshi, who hopped in front of her as the Rookie released a Hitmonchan.

"You're using a _Togepi?_ Are you...?"

"Training purposes," Lyra deadpanned, returning Hoshi and releasing Roxas. The Rookie nodded in understanding and smirked.

"Bring it on!"

* * *

"Okay, then," Lyra said, after she beat the third Trainer. "Now we can...Hmm?"

Hoshi's PokeBall opened, releasing the baby Pokemon. He chirped before he started to glow. Lyra's eyes widened as his form started to change from small and babyish to slender and angelic.

When the light faded, Hoshi was not a Togepi anymore, but a Togetic! Lyra squealed, hugging the newly evolved Hoshi.

"You evolved! I'm so happy for you, Hoshi!" she exclaimed, spinning around. Hoshi chirped happily. When Lyra let go, he floated up and pecked his Trainer on the cheek. She grinned.

"Okay, now you're a Flying Type, Hosh. Guess what that means?" Lyra said, her grin getting wider. Hoshi blinked before realizing what Lyra was getting at. He chirped happily.

He was now a Flying Type, which meant that Fighting Type attacks don't have as much of an effect on him now!

"Yep! You're gonna be our secret weapon!" she said cheerfully. "But first we gotta interrupt his training."

* * *

It took an hour, but Lyra finally managed to turn off the waterfall. When Chuck noticed this, he seemed less than happy.

"Someone stopped the waterfall! Arrrgh!" he exclaimed. When he saw Lyra (with Roxas perched on her shoulder), he bellowed, "Why did you stop the waterfall from pouring on me? You interrupted my training! I'll have you know that I'm a strong Trainer! I train every day under the waterfall!"

"...But..." Lyra said, sweatdropping. "That has nothing to do with Pokemon..."

An awkward silence fell between them.

"That's true!" Chuck admitted. "Come on! We shall do battle now! Primeape, go!"

Chuck threw a PokeBall, releasing a brown Monkey Pokemon. Primeape seemed to glare menacingly at the challenger. Roxas hopped off of her shoulder, ready to go.

"A Riolu! This should be an intense battle! Use Focus Punch!" Chuck exclaimed.

Primeape squinted at Roxas, focusing on the attack. A brown aura started to surround its right fist.

"Roxas, use Force Palm, quickly!"

Roxas dashed towards Primeape, using his hand to harshly push the larger Pokemon back. When the Pokemon fell over, the brown aura disappeared.

"Don't give up! Use Rock Slide!"

"Force Palm again, Roxas!"

After Roxas was bombarded by the rocks Primeape threw at him, Roxas used Force Palm again. This time the attack managed to paralyze the larger Fighting Type.

"Grrr...Use Focus Punch!"

"Again, Roxas!"

Another Force Palm and the Primeape started to stagger, and then fall on its back, swirls replacing its eyes. Lyra cheered when...Roxas started to emit a familiar glow! When the evolution light dimmed out, Roxas was now a taller jackal-like Pokemon.

"You're a Lucario now!" she exclaimed. Roxas clenched his fists, absolutely pumped. Chuck grinned.

"Congratulations! But we haven't lost yet! Go for it, Poliwrath!"

At this he returned Primeape and released a large blue Pokemon with a swirl on its belly.

"Roxas, I got an idea. Return!" she said. She tossed the PokeBall containing Hoshi.

"Go for it, Hoshi! Use Wish!"

"Poliwrath, use Body Slam!"

Hoshi closed his eyes, making a wish. A small shooting star appeared over his head. Poliwrath then charged towards Hoshi. The Togetic got knocked back, and staggered towards the arena.

"Metronome!"

"Hypnosis!"

Hoshi waved his arms and at the fifth wave, he created a small icy wind. The small-scale blizzard failed to affect Poliwrath much. The Water/Fighting Type's eyes started to glow a light hue of blue, causing Hoshi to fall asleep.

Biting back a curse, Lyra returned Hoshi. Sure, she did have an Awakening, but to use it would mean losing a turn, and if Poliwrath used Focus Punch...the results would be catastrophic anyway, Awakening or no. Better to switch tactics. She tossed the PokeBall containing Larxene.

"Go for it, Larxene! Use Taunt!"

_"Oi, Swirly Fat! Yo mama's so fat her clothes come in three different sizes: large, extra large, and HOLY CRAP IT'S COMING!"_

Poliwrath's eye started to twitch until it set its sights on completely maiming the Pichu before him.

"Use Focus Punch!"

"Thundershock!"

Poliwrath squinted at the Pichu as the brown aura surrounded its fist. Larxene sent a bolt its way, causing Poliwrath to not only lose its focus, but to become paralyzed as well.

"Nasty Plot, Larxene!"

"Surf!"

Poliwrath sent a fairly large wave Larxene's way. She managed to shake it off and thought of something. She smirked deviously as she felt her attack power go up.

"Thundershock again!"

Larxene shocked not Poliwrath, but the water that it was on. Since Poliwrath was covered in water (it having just used Surf and it being a Water Type to begin with), and water conducts electricity...It got fried. When it toppled over, Larxene smirked when she felt a strange bubbly feeling. Lyra saw this and nearly lost her footing in her excitement.

"I can't believe it! What is it with me and my Pokemon evolving today?" Lyra whooped as her Pichu_ finally_ evolved into a Pikachu! Chuck returned Poliwrath, looking at the PokeBall.

"We...lost..." he trailed off. He grinned. "Well, how about that! All right. You're worthy of the Storm Badge!"

As he said this, he handed Lyra a Badge that looked remotely like a fist and a TM. On the TM was incribed TM 01 - Focus Punch. Larxene hopped on Lyra's shoulder as the brunette observed it.

"This lets your Pokemon fly to any town or city you've already been to! And that TM teaches Focus Punch. It doesn't hit if your opponents attacks you first, but it's a powerful move when it does land!" Chuck said. "And now I'm gonna get back to training!"

"You do that! You might want to train with your Pokemon once in a while, though," Lyra advised as she walked out.

* * *

When Lyra walked out of the Gym she immediately released the still-sleeping Hoshi. When she used an Awakening on him, he snapped awake, looking frantically around him. He deflated, realizing that they weren't in the Gym anymore.

"Hoshi, I had to return you," Lyra said apologetically. "If Poliwrath used Focus Punch when I woke you up...I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

Hoshi chirped, hugging his Trainer. He then started to float around her, chirping happily.

Lyra laughed.

"Excuse me. Did you happen to win against the Gym Leader here?"

Lyra blinked to see a slightly older woman looking curiously at her.

"And you are...?" she asked. The woman gasped, saying, "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Chuck's wife. It's nice to meet you."

"You're Chuck's wife?" The younger girl asked. "I just beat him."

"Then you should take this," she said, handing Lyra an HM. "That contains Fly. You should be able to put it to good use!"

"I'm sure I will! Thanks, ma'am!" Lyra said, grinning. She turned towards Hoshi. "You wanna learn this, Hoshi?"

Hoshi's eyes sparkled at this. Sure, he wouldn't be able to carry Lyra until he evolved into a Togekiss, but still...he gets to _fly_ now! This had to be the best day ever!

* * *

_"Wow! Larxy, Roxy and I all evolved!"_ Hoshi exclaimed, floating around the same room Lyra had the previous night. Larxene quirked an eyebrow.

_"What happened to Big Sister?" _she said, amused.

_"You'll always be my Big Sister, Larxy," _Hoshi replied, hugging the Pikachu.

"Awwww!" Demyx exclaimed, having seen this rather cute scenario. "Roxas, you look cool, too!"

Roxas smiled, admiring his new form in the mirror.

_"Thanks, Demyx," _he said, turning toward the other PokeMembers.

It was then that Larxene noticed something.

Something very..._bothersome_ about her tail.

_"What...is...**THIS?" **_she demanded, pointing towards the offending body part. It had a inward notch at the tip, making it look somewhat like...

_"A HEART!" _Axel shrieked, falling to the floor in laughter. The other PokeMembers laughed at Larxene's plight.

"Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve, Larxene!" Demyx laughed. "You gotta admit, that's pretty funny!"

_"Try hilarious," _Saix said as he laughed almost as hard as Axel.

_"...Sorry, Larxene,"_ Roxas said as he fell to the floor.

The only two out of the laughing five that _didn't_ get shocked were Roxas and Demyx. Roxas because of Hoshi, and Demyx because, well...it's not wise to shock and possibly kill your future ride.

Lyra's lips twitched into a smile as she checked her PokeGear. There were two messages: one from her mother (obviously about an item she bought: she'd have to go to the Mart tomorrow), and one from Ethan. She checked the one from Ethan and was greeted with this: **"Hey, Lyra. Sorry I had to ditch you while we were eating ice cream. It's just that a lot of stuff's been falling on my head. On another note, I found another PokeMember! Call me back!"**

Lyra and the PokeMembers present blinked. Another PokeMember? Lyra called Ethan back and was greeted with the recorded message. When the tone sounded, Lyra said, "Ethan, it's Lyra. It's okay about the ice cream. Stuff happens, I guess. We had fun, didn't we? So all's forgiven. Anyway, you found another PokeMember? Show me when you get the chance. Bye."

When she finished recording, Lyra sighed, flopping onto the bed.

"Good night, guys," she said, covering herself with the blankets.

The PokeMembers looked at each other.

_"Ethan seems to be finding PokeMembers at a steady pace," _Saix commented. Roxas nodded in agreement.

_"Wonder who he found?" _he asked.

_"Well, the only other members left are Mansex, Xaldin, Vexen, Luxord and Marly," _Axel commented. Larxene nodded.

"Looks like we'll find out soon enough," Demyx said thoughtfully.

The other PokeMembers nodded in agreement as they went to sleep.

* * *

I don't know about you, but I found it easy to beat Chuck the first time in HG. In G/S/C it was no easy feat, but they seemed to make him a bit easier to beat in HGSS. I would have been disappointed if I still didn't have horrible, horrible memories of Chuck pwning me in G/S/C.

So...no flamey please?


	20. To Our Surprise

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

I thought you all should know, I restarted my HeartGold game. I now have a Quilava named Axel, a Gastly named Zexion, a Lapras named Demyx, a Horsea named Xigbar, and (since you don't get Pikachu/Pichu until the Kanto region and I don't have a friend/extra DS and game to trade with), A FLAFFY NAMED LARXENE. All that's missing is a Sentret named Scout and an Eevee named Saix (the Eevee I got from Bill turned out to be a girl - I decided I should keep it like that so I could breed her and another Pokemon. That way, at least the result (Saix) will have good stats (and there's a one in 8192 chance it'll be shiny! Yay!).) and this game would be REALLY close to being_ XIII Pokemon_ gold.

Sorry this chapter seems short. But finals week and major inspiration (I wrote two one-shots: _Meeting at the Beach _and_ Meeting at Black City_, and a drabble that might possibly become a three-shot named _Frozen Boundary_, all in the capacity of two or three days) will kill me. I'll probably update more when finals week is over, though. So rejoice! :D

On with the fic!

* * *

"Axel, use Flame Wheel!"

"Magnemite, please use Sonicboom."

Confused? Well, after Lyra went back to Olivine City to give Amphy the medicine, Jasmine went back to the Gym, with Lyra following. After a conversation between the other three occupants of the Gym (Fat Man (as Axel so lovingly called him), Jasmine's father and Jasmine's little sister) hey immediately went into battle, with Jasmine using two Magnemites thus far, and with Lyra using Axel the whole time. Given that Axel was a Fire Type holding Charcoal, the Magnemite stood no chance.

"This battle is not over yet," Jasmine said, returning the second Magnemite and tossing another PokeBall. "Tempered steel isn't something that can be made rusty so easily."

Axel mentally smirked. Surely it would be another Magnemite, a Skarmory maybe. Lyra seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Neither the Quilava or his Trainer expected to be completely dwarfed by a menacing Steelix that reached up to the ceiling.

Lyra squeaked: a Steelix? A _Steelix_? Those Pokemon are supposed to be really tough! How is it that a shy, sweet girl like Jasmine had a _Steelix_ up her sleeve?

Lyra noticed that Jasmine's stance seemed more confident as she watched the younger brunette's reaction. The timid young woman almost seemed to smirk upon seeing Lyra's reaction.

Gulping, Lyra gave a command: "Axel, use Rollout!"

"Steelix, use Sandstorm."

Steelix bellowed, whipping up a whirl of sand in the Gym as Axel rolled into a ball and charged towards Steelix. When it hit, Axel rebounded, going for the Steel type again.

"Keep going, Axel!"

"Steelix, use Rock Throw!"

Steelix wrapped its tail around a nearby boulder and chucked it at the Fire Type. If Axel was hurt by the attack, he didn't show it. Instead, he collided into Steelix again and stopped rolling. He staggered, but still stood. Seeing that, Lyra returned the Quilava.

"Good job, Axel," she said. "Go for it, Demyx!"

The Lapras appeared, somewhat intimidated by the Steelix.

"Demyx, use Water Pulse!"

"Rock Throw!"

Demyx was able to strike first. The attack confused the Steelix, causing it to simply miss Demyx in its attack.

"Now use Surf!"

And that was the end of that Gym Battle. Steelix fell with a large BAM, causing Jasmine to sigh, and then smile.

"I concede defeat," she said. "You exceed me in strength and kindness. In light of that, please accept the Mineral Badge."

As she said this, Jasmine handed Lyra the Badge and TM #

"With this Badge, all Pokemon up to Level 70 will obey you without question," she said. "And, um...I'd like you to have this TM. It contains Iron Tail. The attack will occasionally lower the Defense of the enemy."

Lyra took it, grinning as she returned Demyx. Axel then burst out of his PokeBall as he started to evolve! Lyra's eyes widened as he grew until he became a Typhlosion.

"Axel! You're a Typhlosion now! All right!" Lyra exclaimed, hugging her starter. As usual, Axel tried to struggle out of the hug, much to Jasmine's amusement.

"Congratulations. And the next Gym is in Mahogany Town. You know...just in case you didn't know that," she said. Lyra grinned.

"Okay. Thanks a lot, Jasmine!" she said, walking out.

"Wait!" Jasmine called, grabbing Lyra's attention. "Um...I don't know how to say this, but...good luck."

Axel gave her a deadpan look. _It's really that hard to say good luck? Someone has confidence issues..._

Lyra smiled, waving as she walked out.

* * *

"I don't know, Axel," Lyra said as she walked through Route 35, with Axel following. "I'm glad you evolved, but I can't help but think that Gym battle was really easy. I mean, you taking out the Magnemite and Demyx against the Steelix...Sure, that in itself was risky, but still..."

_It was like that in Azalea Gym, remember? _Axel thought as the PokeGear rang. Lyra answered, slightly hoping it was Ethan, but was greeted by Baoba's image on the screen.

**"Hi, Lyra! This is Warden Baoba. Remember me?" **he asked. When Lyra nodded, he grinned, **"Good! Sorry to have kept you waiting. We've finally opened the Safari Zone! You remember where it is, right? A short walk west of Cianwood and you're there! I admit it's out of the way, but please stop to visit sometime! I hope to see you there soon!"**

Lyra grinned, saying, "I'll get there whenever I can!"

**"That's just what I wanted to hear!" **Baoba said, hanging up. Lyra smiled as they walked into the grass.

"Sounds like fun, doesn't it, Axel?" she asked. "You probably won't be able to fight, but we might find some PokeMembers in there. You never know, right?"

Axel nodded, remembering what Zexion told him about that Safari Zone. It seems like a good idea, but only for a fallback.

It was then that the two saw a large yellow and purple blur rush past them. Axel knew it was a Pokemon, but it was nothing like any Pokemon he saw so far. Lyra seemed to know what it was, but was in disbelief.

"Hey, Lyra! Fancy seeing you here!"

Lyra blinked to see Ethan waving at her, with Mizu at his side. The two looked a little shaken, so Lyra walked up to him.

"You okay, Ethan?" she asked. Ethan nodded, pitch going higher as he said, "Sure, sure! Unless you count the fact that we just saw one of the Legendary Beasts from Burnt Tower, we're just dandy!"

"You saw...?" Lyra exclaimed. "Which one?"

"Raikou," Ethan replied, putting his hand over his heart. "_Man_, that was intense! You and your mom weren't kidding when you said that seeing a Legendary Pokemon was like that!"

"Did Raikou do anything?"

"No, it just ran off. You saw it, didn't you? It ran in your direction!"

_So that's what it was..._ Axel thought as Mizu shivered at the memory. Naturally, Roxas had told him about what happened at Burned Tower, with Suicune circling Lyra and all that.

"Come on," Lyra said, gently pushing Ethan towards Ecruteak. "I was just about to go to Mahogany Town. Wanna go with me?"

Ethan instantly grinned. "Sure, why not? I got nothing better to do, anyway!" he exclaimed.

Mizu and Axel rolled their eyes at this, but followed their Trainers into Ecruteak anyway.

* * *

Lyra blinked, remembering something as the four walked through Ecruteak.

"Ethan, you mentioned in your last call that you found another PokeMember?"she asked. Ethan nodded, saying, "Yeah. You might want to release all your PokeMembers for this one."

Blinking confusedly, Lyra did so. The newly released PokeMembers looked around in confusion.

_"There's Ethan," _Saix observed. _"I guess we're going to meet the new PokeMember."_

_"Quiet! He's already released it!" _Larxene snapped. Sure enough, Ethan had already released...a Ralts?

Axel lumbered up to the small Psychic Type, inspecting it. The Ralts looked like any ordinary Pokémon. At least it would if it weren't for the numeral on its horn.

The numeral _I._

All the member's eyes nearly bugged out of their faces.

**_"MANSEX/SUPERIOR/XEMNAS?"_** they screeched in unison as they swarmed the Psychic type. The little Psychic type twitched until every one of Lyra's PokeMembers started to float in the air, surrounded by a blue light. The only exception to this was Saix (seeing as he _was_ a Dark Type...), who looked at their leader incredulously.

_"Don't you dare laugh," _Xemnas said through gritted teeth. _"I've had enough of that with Number II."_

_"Man, oh man," _Axel managed to say. _"Whoever put us in these forms has a good sense of humor."_

Lyra wanted to laugh at the sight. She turned to Ethan, grinning._  
_

"You found their leader?" Lyra asked. "How'd you manage that?"

Ethan scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I'm not sure. I heard somewhere that Ralts are drawn to positive emotions," he said, his face going red when he realized what he said.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! Lyra's gonna know, isn't she? _he thought to himself. Lyra blinked.

"Oh. You're the most optimistic person I know. Now that I think of it, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner," she said thoughtfully.

Ethan sighed in relief as Mizu flopped to the ground, exasperated. _Swing and a miss..._

That was when they heard the following coming from a couple next to them:

_"Hey, have you heard about what's happening in the Lake of Rage?"_

_"No, what?"_

_"A red Gyarados is rampaging in the lake!"_

_"A red Gyarados? Shit, has anyone died?"_

_"Not yet, but there's been escalating concern. Someone should do something."_

_"Think Team Rocket could be behind this?"_

_"Normally I would rebuke that theory, but with what I heard happened in Azalea Town and the Dance Theatre...I don't know."_**  
**

Lyra and Ethan glanced at each other.

"Think we should check it out?" Lyra asked. Ethan grinned.

"Of course! Not every day you see a red Gyarados! Come on!" he exclaimed, returning all of his Pokemon except for Rita. Lyra returned everyone but Larxene as they ran towards Mahogany Town.

* * *

So...no flamey please


	21. Tension Rising

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

It's time for another _Glee_ review/rant! Aren't you excited?

_Prom Night_ was amazing. Enough said, I think. Characterization was top-notch (in fact, as much of an asshole he was, Karofsky is now one of my favorite characters) and...yeah. And the fact that it ended with _Dancing Queen_ didn't hurt, either. The only song I _didn't_ like in that episode is _Rolling in the Deep_.

_Funeral..._I'm willing to admit...that was the first time I've been brought to tears watching a TV show. As I type this sentence, I'm listening to _Pure Imagination_, and it still...WAAAH! TT^TT On a positive note, I'm still listening to _Some People_ and _Back to Black_.

*sings* I don't like cities...but I like _NEW YORK_~! *stops singing* That was where New Directions went for Nationals and I gotta say, I really, _really_ want to go there again. I mean, I can go there anytime now, (I love love _love_ living in the East Coast), but since my college is two hours away from that wonderful city, I haven't gotten the chance to go in _ages_. The songs were pretty good too..._Light Up the World_,_ For Good_ (RANDOM KEY CHANGE!), and_ Pretending_ were awesome! :)

But with that out of the way...yeah, sorry if it seems short. I want to mash all of the Team Rocket butt-kicking for next chapter, and so...yep.

But enough rambling! On with the fic!

* * *

"A Red Gyarados, huh..." Ethan said as the two walked through Route 42. Lyra nodded.

"That makes two Shinies," she said offhandedly, thinking about Saix. Ethan blinked.

"Oh yeah. Your Umbreon's Shiny, too," he mused, stopping in his tracks. Lyra stopped, glancing at him.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"I was thinking...should we capture the Gyarados? I mean, it would seem wrong to knock it out just because it's rampaging...maybe someone angered it," he trailed off. Lyra blinked.

She then nodded, smiling while saying, "I think that's a good idea. But I think when that time comes Gyarados should go to you. Maybe you'll be able to calm him - or her - down."

"You really think so?" Ethan asked when the two hear the rustling of bushes nearby. Lyra's heart nearly stopped when a certain Legendary wandered out of said bushes.

"Suicune!" she exclaimed. Ethan looked at Lyra, and then at the Pokemon whose gaze rested on the pigtailed girl. It then took off in the direction of Mahogany Town.

Lyra sighed, trying to calm her racing heart. Suddenly seeing the Legendary, in addition to Raikou earlier...this was becoming a bit too much.

"Suicune!"

Lyra and Ethan blinked as Eusine dashed into the scene, just barely seeing Suicune's silhouette disappear into the distance. Lyra sighed, shaking her head. Of course Eusine would be not too far behind the Legendary.

"Suicune," the caped man exclaimed, "How brave it is! How refreshing, how beautiful! And see how quickly it moves!"

It was then that Eusine noticed Lyra and nearly sighed.

"Fancy seeing you here, Lyra. I should have expected it, though," he said. "You always seem to be near where Suicune would appear."

Lyra shifted her feet at this, slightly blushing as she did so.

"But that doesn't matter," Eusine continued. "My desire to search for Suicune far surpasses yours."

"How are you so sure about that?" Ethan asked, getting a bit defensive for his friend. Eusine glanced at the black-haired boy.

"My grandfather was...into myths, shall we say," he replied. "He told me so many stories about Suicune."

Eusine faced the direction of Mahogany Town, declaring, "Suicune...I won't rest until I find out what you're up to! Do you hear me?"

And then he walked off. After a long minute, Ethan glanced at Lyra.

"I'm guessing you've met him before," he said, more a statement than a question. Lyra nodded, replying, "'I've met him a few times. He's...unique."

Larxene scoffed at this.

_"If by 'unique' you mean 'freaky cape-wearing stalker-pansy that makes even _Mansex_ look sane,' then by all means call him unique,"_ she muttered as the Trainers and their Pokemon marched forward.

* * *

Ethan and Lyra blinked at the sign they saw posted near a small building in Mahogany Town: **Just a Souvenir Shop. Nothing Suspicious Here.**

_"I don't know about you, but my suspicion's aroused," _Rita deadpanned. Larxene nodded, saying, _"Couldn't have said it better myself, Leafy."_

"Do you really think people buy this, Lyra?" Ethan asked. Lyra looked around, seeing people walking through the town -and passing the 'souvenir shop' without so much as a double take. She sighed.

"As much as I hate to say it, yeah. I do. Now come on, we have a Red Gyarados to take care of," she said, walking into the Route that led to the Lake of Rage.

"We better not go through the shortcut," Ethan pointed out. "I hear talk that there are Team Rocket members there fining people for passing."

Lyra sighed, saying, "All right. I've been meaning to get more experience for my Pokemon anyway. Let's get going."

And with that, they walked into the grass.

* * *

"Meep."

"I don't think I could have said it better myself."

"Meep."

"Yep...we might die."

"Meep."

"If you say that again I'm going to throw you into the lake!"

"...Meep."

"Ethan, _will you cut it out?_"

"But Lyraaa!" Ethan exclaimed. "You don't seem to understand the situation here...A Gyarados is one thing. A _red_ Gyarados on a murderous rampage - _in its natural habitat_, mind you_ -_ is a completely different thing. Entirely."

"Are you saying you're not going to help?" Lyra asked, putting her hands on her hips. Ethan raised his hands in self-defense.

"N-No! I didn't mean that!" he said. He then sighed, saying, "I'm just a little scared, is all."

Lyra's eyes softened at this. She put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Ethan...it's okay to be scared. But you can't chicken out, because you have us!"

Ethan smiled, saying, "Yeah. Thanks Ly. You always know what to say."

Lyra grinned, eying the Red Gyarados rampaging. She called Demyx and said, "Well then...Let's go catch a Red Gyarados!"

* * *

After the two friends (along with Larxene and Mizu) swam to shore, they flopped to the ground.

"That...was...unbelievable," Lyra said. Ethan nodded.

"I know. I'm still amazed that we managed to catch it," Ethan said, tightly clutching the Ultra Ball the Gyarados was in.

"_You_ managed to catch it," Lyra corrected. Ethan sighed when he caught sight of black boots. He looked up and his heart plummeted into his stomach.

"Uh...Ly?" he asked, slowly getting up. Lyra followed Ethan's gaze to see a red-haired, black-clothed young man. By his side was a massive Dragonite, which looked down upon the two young Trainers and their Pokemon.

"Uh..." Lyra managed to squeak.

"I assume you two are here because of the wild rumors?" the man asked. The two friends could only nod numbly. Larxene gave her Trainer and Ink-Head (Hoshi's nickname stuck, what can you do?) incredulously.

_"Way to be articulate," _she grumbled. Mizu glanced at Larxene.

_"...Right, you're one of the members," _the Marill said. _"That's Lance, also known as the Champion of the Elite Four."_

_"Champion?" _Larxene said, eyeing the Dragonite. The Dragon Pokemon looked unbelievably strong...

_"Looks like we'll have our work cut out for us," _the Electric type said.

_"You sound so sure," _the Dragonite commented. _"How do you know you'll be facing us?"_

_"Trust me, fatso,"_ Larxene quipped. _"I've seen a lot of shit go down, and I do mean a lot. So tackling the rest of those Gym Leaders **and** this Elite Four is going to be a snap, I promise you."_

As their Pokemon were talking, Lance said, "My name's Lance. I'm a Trainer just like you."

Lyra blinked. Just like them? He was the friggin' _Champion_, for crying out loud! Nevertheless, she managed to say, "I'm Lyra. And this is my friend Ethan."

"Well met. I heard the rumors and I came to investigate," Lance said. "It's just like I thought...something seems to be forcing the Magikarp in this lake to evolve..."

Ethan and Lyra glanced at each other, and then at the PokeBall holding the Red Gyarados. Was she...?

"Anyway, I saw the way you two battled," Lance continued. "I can tell that you two have potential as Trainers. Maybe you can help me investigate?"

Lyra and Ethan immediately nodded, causing Lance to smile. "Excellent! AS of now, a mysterious radio broadcast coming from Mahogany Town seems to be the cause of the Magikarp evolving prematurely."

"So that suspicious Souvenir Shop...?" Ethan started as he and Lyra put two and two together. Lance nodded, saying, "I'll be waiting for you two in Mahogany. Come on, Dragonite!"

And with that the Champion and his Pokemon took off. Ethan and Lyra blinked as he left.

"That," Ethan said, "was probably the most awesome person I have ever met."

As Lyra nodded in agreement, Larxene facepalmed.

_"He's just a cape-flinging pansy! Get a grip!"_ she exclaimed as the two Trainers and their Pokemon took off into the town.

* * *

No sooner than the four entered Mahogany Town did they see a large beam erupt from the walls of the phony souvenir shop.

"Get down!" Ethan shouted as he and Lyra hit the deck. The beam that originated from inside the 'shop' stretched forever - it seemed - into Route 42, where a fisherman dodged the attack by diving into the water below.

"What the hell was that?" Lyra shrieked, scared out of her wits.

"That's a Hyper Beam," Ethan said, getting up and helping Lyra do the same. "That must be Lance's Dragonite."

Larxene had to admit, she was somewhat intimidated by the beam that this somewhat civil Dragonite could muster. Work cut out for them, indeed.

Cautiously, Lyra and Ethan walked into the Souvenir Shop to see Lance and his Dragonite facing a trembling Grunt, who had managed to duck in time to avoid the Hyper Beam. The Champion noticed the two children Trainers walk into the scene.

"What took you two so long?" he asked. "I was right: that signal is coming from here."

As he said this, he glanced at the other occupant of the room, who immediately stepped into the nearest corner. Lance then walked towards a giant golden cabinet and said, "And there are the stairs."

The two Grunts flinched as he and Dragonite moved the cabinet aside, revealing stairs that led to some kind of basement. The redhead faced Lyra and Ethan.

"We should probably split up," he said. "I'll go in first."

And with that he descended the stairs, Dragonite in tow. Ethan and Lyra glanced at each other.

"I don't think I need to ask..." Ethan said. Lyra nodded.

"We probably should. I've faced Team Rocket before, and trust me," she replied. "with Crimson, I think we're covered. Come on."

Lyra went down the stairs as she said this. Ethan eyed the PokeBall holding Crimson (the Red Gyarados) and shrugged, going in after her.

There was going to be hell to pay.

* * *

One more thing: I'm sorry this chapter took as long as it did. Here's who you should blame...The Red Gyarados.

THE MOTHER EFFING RED GYARADOS!

For the _longest_ time I was planning on it being a PokeMember (namely, Xaldin), but then so many more ideas came up for him...so after an eternity I drew the Pokemon he should be from a hat. Red Gyarados lost. D:

And as usual, I typed most of this up while I was sleepy, so...any mistakes, point them out.

No flamey please?


	22. Omake: The Silent Hero

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Yeeeee~ Owl City! I'm listening to his song _Angels_ on YouTube and I'm in love with it. :)

And now we rewind through the storyline...right before Roxas hatches. That's right, you get Chapter 13, Ethan and Lexaeus style!

On with the fic!

* * *

_...Who am I?_

_...Oh yes. I'm Lexaeus. Nobody of Aeleus_. _Number V of the Organization...The Silent Hero. _

_But how did I get here? I'm in this warm, confining place...are the other members in this predicament? _

_I can feel slight rocking...am I in an Egg of some kind? And is someone carrying me?_

_In any case, I think I'm about to find out..._

* * *

Ethan sighed, sitting on a rock in Route 37. It was just another day in his life: walking through Johto, fighting the occasional Gym Battle, rarely he'd catch a Pokemon...normal stuff, really.

"Hey, Mizu," he called. Said Marill was playing in the grass. She ran over to him and hugged his leg, causing Ethan to pet her.

"I kinda wish something unusual would happen..." he said. "I'm actually getting kind of bored with how repetitive things are getting."

Mizu nodded in agreement, sighing.

That was when the Egg in Ethan's arms started to crack.

Eyes widening, Ethan watched as the eggshell chipped away, revealing a small green lizard like Pokemon. It yawned, looking around. Mizu grinned at the Larvitar.

_"Hi! I'm Mizu, and that's our Trainer, Ethan!" _she said to the Larvitar._ "Welcome to the world of Pokemon!"_

The Larvitar glanced at the Marill. _"...Pokemon?" _he asked. Mizu rose an eyebrow.

_"Uh, yeah. I'm a Pokemon, and you're a Pokemon," _she said. The Larvitar looked himself over, as if in confusion.

Ethan's grin could not have been wider. A Larvitar! Those were insanely hard to find in Johto: only Mt. Silver had one of these little babies. And for him to get a Larvitar Egg! It was times like these that he loved being the grandson of the Day Care Center Couple.

"Oh, man! Wait until Lyra...huh?" he asked, noticing something on the Larvitar's horn.

To be more specific, the numeral_ V_.

Ethan blinked, trying to see if the numeral was just a smudge or something. When the numeral didn't rub off, he scratched his head.

"I didn't know Pokemon could get birthmarks..." he mused, getting out his PokeGear. "I think I should call Professor Elm."

After a few rings, Ethan was greeted with Professor Elm's image on the screen. The professor smiled.

**"Hello, Ethan!" **he exclaimed. **"You don't usually call this time of day...is something wrong?"**

"Not really," he said, showing the Larvitar to the Professor. "It's just that my grandparents gave me an Egg. It just hatched into this Larvitar..."

**"Congratulations, Ethan!" **Professor Elm exclaimed, seeing the Larvitar. **"Larvitar aren't the easiest Pokemon to raise, but I'm sure you can pull it off!"**

The Larvitar glanced at the boy holding him, and then the image on the device. What did they mean by Larvitar and Pokemon...is that was he is now?

It was then that Professor Elm noticed the numeral on the Larvitar's horn. **"Ethan, that numeral..."**

"That's actually what I wanted to tell you about," Ethan said, looking at the birthmark again. "I was wondering if you knew what it was."

**"I don't, actually," **Elm said, shaking his head. **"But do you know who might? Lyra."**

That caught Ethan's attention instantly, the Larvitar noticed. **  
**

"Lyra? Why would she know?" he asked. The Professor shrugged.

**"Well...I just know that most of her Pokemon have numerals like that as well," **he replied. **"Her Quilava has the numeral VIII, her Pichu has the numeral XII, and her Gastly has the numeral VI."**

"Now that I think about it, her Eevee has the numeral VII between his eyes..." Ethan mused.

The Larvitar was deep in thought hearing this. If he had a numeral...did that mean the other members were here in this world too? Axel had to be here...he was VIII. Larxene and Zexion...and Saix were in this world now. He watched as the Professor's eyebrows quirked.

**"When did Lyra get an Eevee?"**

"She met Bill and he gave the Eevee to her as a gift. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll call Lyra and ask her."

**"All right. Let me know what she says, okay?"**

Ethan nodded as he hung up. He pressed another button in his PokeGear, and instead of the middle-aged professor, the image of a young girl with pigtails appeared on the screen.

**"Hey, Ethan. What's up?" **the girl - Lyra, was it? - asked.

Ethan grinned, saying, "My Egg hatched!" Lyra's eyes widened at this.

**"Seriously? Mine, too! There was a Riolu!"**

Ethan's eyebrows quirked. A Riolu...they were in Sinnoh, right? So why did Gramps and Grandma have a Riolu Egg?

"Congrats! This time I'm not gonna be jealous, cuz' I got a Larvitar! How ya like that?" he said, almost cockily. The newly hatched Larvitar sighed as the Trainer said this. Lyra gasped.

**"Ethan, that's astounding! Congratulations!"** she exclaimed, grinning at the boy through the screen. Ethan grinned back, and then blinked.

"Can I ask you something, though?"he asked.

**"Hmm?"**

"I talked to Professor Elm and he told me some of your Pokemon have it...why do you think my Larvitar has a numeral on its horn?"

Lyra glanced at something at her feet (probably Axel, Ethan figured), surprise evident on her face.

**"Can we see?" **she asked. Ethan nodded, showing the Larvitar's horn on the PokeGear. "I don't know what to make of it. I mean, Professor Elm told me that it's a birthmark or something, but I don't know what to call it now. Should I call it Five like that Peanuts character, or...?"

**"How about Lexaeus?"** Lyra asked. Ethan blinked at this. The Larvitar looked at the device in surprise. There was no way she would know about that unless...

"Lexaeus? What does a name like that have to do with the numeral?" Ethan asked in confusion.

Lyra sighed and gulped at this. What?

**"Remember when you asked how I got my Pokemon nicknames?"** she asked. Ethan blinked at this.

"Really? You're telling me your secret?" he asked, feeling slightly excited. He wouldn't tell her this, but he loved the nicknames Lyra gave her Pokemon.

Lyra nodded, saying,** "But can we talk about it in person? I don't want to risk someone overhearing and thinking I'm crazy."**

Ethan cocked an eyebrow at this. What was she talking about?

"Why would anyone think you're crazy?" he asked.

**"It's a long story. Just meet me near the Ruins of Alph, okay? That's where I am now."**

"Okay. I'm actually pretty close to there myself. See you there!"

Ethan clicked off the PokeGear, returning Mizu as he did so. He picked up the Larvitar and headed for the Ruins of Alph.

"I wonder what this secret of hers could be...Lexaeus?" he asked the Larvitar. "Maybe it's some otherworldly cult or something."

Lexaeus sighed. This boy had no idea.

* * *

"So what's your secret?" Ethan asked, eagerly looking at the walls of the chambers they were in. "Is it in the walls somewhere?"

"Uh," Lyra asked. "Are you sure you wouldn't think I'm crazy?" she asked. Ethan quirked an eyebrow. Why would he think she was crazy? The two had been best friends since she moved into New Bark, and that was practically forever ago! He sighed, wrapping an arm around Lyra's shoulder.

"Where would you get the thought that I'd think you were crazy?" he asked. "We're best friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah..." Lyra trailed off. Ethan felt a twige of hurt at this...what if she found that she couldn't trust him with this?

_I wish I knew what was going on..._

It was then that Ethan saw a Pokemon that looked like the letter A.

"Uh...Lyra?" he asked. The Pokemon seemed to be staring at him and Lyra...

He vaugely heard the sound of multiple PokeBalls opening before he blacked out.

* * *

_"Huh? Why are we here?"_

_Lexaeus blinked as he took in his surroundings. They were in the Round Room! But how? He saw that the one who had uttered that was none other than Roxas._

_"...Roxas?" he asked. The young member blinked. _

_"Lexaeus?"_

_"Just as I thought. That Larvitar was you, Lexy!" Axel called from his chair._

_"What do you expect? The numeral on his horn was V, was it not?" Zexion._

_"Yeah, Axel...did being in this stupid world affect your intellegence as well?" Larxene._

_"Both of you, be quiet. Lexaeus and Roxas must be confused." Saix._

_"Well...yeah, I'm confused," Roxas commented. "I merged with Sora, and then I'm here? What's going on?"_

_"Basically, all of us have been reborn as these creatures called Pokemon," Zexion said. "As a result, we all have hearts. Roxas, you're a fighter, so you must have been reborn as a Fighting type, whereas Lexaeus had the element of earth, so he's a Larvitar."_

_"And how does this girl know of us?" Lexaeus asked, gesturing towards the unconsious girl._

_"This isn't the first time this has happened," Zexion replied._

_"Zexy and I had to explain it to her the first time we came to this Replica Room," Axel commented when Lyra woke up._

_As he watched Ethan wake up and everyone explaining the situation to him, Lexaeus stayed quiet. He stayed quiet through the room fading, too._

* * *

"So it wasn't a dream?"

"That's the reaction I had when I first stumbled into that room. I guess I started to believe it when I saw the numerals."

_"...and then Larxene over there hatched. It took Zexy to calm her down and explain things to her, and then June let Lyra keep Larxene," _Axel said.

_"That stupid woman..." _Larxene grumbled. Axel grinned as he continued, _"And then Hoshi over there hatched! He thinks that Larxene is his 'Big Sister'!" _

The eggshell Pokemon (Hoshi, was it?) glanced over at the Pichu as she twitched.

_"Hey Big Sister, you're twitching! And you only twitch when you're annoyed!" _he said, near tears. _"Do you hate me, Big Sister?"_

Instead of snapping at him like Lexaeus expected, Larxene looked away, saying, _"Well, uh...I don't hate you, Hoshi."_

_"Yay!" _Hoshi cheered, hugging Larxene. Again, Larxene didn't shock him, surprising Lexaeus again.

_"Larxene..." _Roxas said, obviously as surprised as Lexaeus.

_"Not. One. Word," _Larxene said through gritted teeth.

_Well, well_, Lexaeus thought as he watched the other PokeMembers react to Larxene's lack of harshness. This is quite the world, if it got Larxene to be somewhat concerned for another's feelings. He didn't know about Larxene's past, so could that be a contribution?

Now that he thought of it, Axel and Saix were on the same team...together. Didn't they hate each other? But they were best friends as Somebodies, that Lexaeus knew...But nothing seemed to clear the animosity that Saix seemed to hold for Axel.

"I call Lucas."

"What? No fair! You know Lucas is _my_ character!"

"Fine. I shall use Ness and kick your butt."

Lexaeus glanced at the two humans, who seemed to be quarreling about some video game.

_Perhaps it's that girl's influence..._he thought, smiling a bit.

Perhaps this world would do everyone in the Organization some good.

* * *

I have no idea if I got Lexaeus' character right. D:

So...no flamey please?


	23. What Lies Beneath

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

You might think that since _Glee_ Season 2 is over that I won't do a rant/mentioning of some sort until the next season comes up. But you would be wrong, for there is _The Glee Project_. :)

My favorite episode is _Vulnerability_ so far, with _DanceAbility_ and _PairAbility_ tied at a close second. If you haven't seen it yet, it's on Hulu. Hint hint.

And I'm soo sorry you had to wait this long for a chapter! To make it up to you, I've added a little surprise at the end...fwahahaha! But sadly there are no battles in this chapter, but do not fear, for the battle with Ariana is fast approaching! :D

On with the fic!

* * *

"Brrr...it's cold down here," Lyra said, shivering as she and Ethan entered the basement, which was nothing like the phony shop above.

"Yeah, and what's with all these Persian statues?" Ethan said as he examined a nearby statue depicting said feline Pokemon.

**BREEE! BREEE! BREEE!**

As the loud siren wailed, a red light flashed on and off. Before the two knew it, two Rocket Grunts ran for them.

"Intruder!" one exclaimed. "Let's get them!"

The Grunts got out their PokeBalls while Lyra returned Larxene and released Axel. Ethan returned Rita and released Crimson. The Red Gyarados glared furiously at the Rocket Grunts, who looked at the Gyarados nervously.

"Uh..."

"Nice Gyarados..."

* * *

"D-Don't think you'll see the last of us!" the first Grunt stammered as they returned their fainted Pokemon. The second Grunt nodded in agreement.

"Yeah!" he said. "Th-that alarm will sound every time you p-pass a Persain statue!"

Axel quirked an eyebrow as the Grunts ran off. He looked up at Crimson, who glanced back.

_"Impressive," _the Typhlosion commented. _"You showed no mercy."_

_"What do you expect?"_ Crimson snapped. _"Those assholes forced me to evolve before my time. Until every last one of them is quivering with fear for their very lives, I will show no mercy."_

Axel blinked. _"You remind me of Larxene,"_ he commented.

_"Larxene is the Pikachu I fought with before the boy captured me, correct?"_ Crimson asked. When Axel nodded, Crimson smirked_. "She's one to be reckoned with. I should like another battle with her when this is through."  
_

_"Knowing her, she'd accept. No question."_

_"Most excellent."  
_

Lyra and Ethan gaped at the ruins of the hallway. Crimson and Axel absolutely _trashed_ the immediate area!

"I think they're getting along," Ethan commented.

"Yeah..." Lyra said, almost nervously. "Given how those two are really destructive when it comes to Team Rocket...I think we'll have no problem if a few Grunts show up."

"But still...Imagine Larxene paired up with Crimson."

Ethan and Lyra shuddered as they imagined the destruction that would ensue with the tag team of Larxene and Crimson.

"Let's get going," Lyra said, face going pale. "That Grunt said they'll keep coming...maybe we should try to find a switch to these alarms."

"...Yeah," Ethan simply said as he returned Crimson and released Xemnas. The four then went down another hallway.

* * *

After they found the switch, going through the first floor was a breeze. They went down another pair of stairs and was greeted by a familiar bright light.

"Another Hyper Beam!" Lyra exclaimed as she and Ethan cleared the rest of the stairs. Sure enough, Lance and Dragonite were there. In front of them was a Rocket Grunt, quivering on the floor. Not two inches above this poor Grunt was a large hole in the wall.

Lance turned at the noise he had heard and spotted the two young Trainers. He broke out into a grin.

"Ah, Lyra and Ethan! Right on time! See that?" he asked, pointing at a tower reaching up to the ceiling. "That's the radio transmitter. This kind gentleman has informed me that to open it, you need the voice of one of the Rocket Executives."

"Which one?" Ethan asked. Lance blinked, glancing at the Rocket Grunt.

The Grunt shrieked, "It's Petrel! Petrel's the one you're after!"

Axel laughed. This Grunt was scared shitless of a redheaded guy in a cape! This world got more hilarious by the week!

_But then again..._Axel thought as he eyed the Dragonite. The somewhat intimidating Dragonite.

_"Axel, you and your team will probably be fighting that Dragonite," _Xemnas informed Axel.

_"Don't think that didn't cross my mind, Mansex,"_ Axel grumbled. _"But one question. If you're a Psychic Pokemon, you should know...will we win?"_

Xemnas smirked, saying, _"I will tell you only if you stop calling me Mansex."_

_"...You knew I'd refuse, didn't you?"_

_"You're getting smart, Number VIII."_

"Petrel's hiding in their leader's office, but that room's protected by a password, too," Lance said, crossing his arms. "So we need to get that password first."

Lyra and Ethan nodded as Lance walked through an adjacent hallway. As Lyra and Ethan took the other hallway, the poor Grunt whimpered again.

_"Sad," _Axel commented, shaking his head as he followed the two Trainers. Xemnas was busy reading the man's mind, curious as to what happened. What he saw astounded him. This man's Pokemon had a lot of power in them. Quite comparable to Sora and Riku.

Most interesting...

_"Hey, you coming?" _Axel called. _"As much as I'd like to leave you behind, I don't think Lyra or Ethan would."_

Xemnas mentally smirked as he followed the three.

Yes...that Lyra has her work cut out for her.

* * *

It didn't take them long to find a Grunt who knew the password. It took even less time for Ethan to beat her in a battle.

"Okay, okay! You win!" the Grunt snapped, returning her Gloom. "The password is Slowpoketail!"

Lyra quirked an eyebrow. Slowpoketail...that was how she first got wind of Team Rocket's return, and if she recalled correctly that was their first undertaking in Johto...

Why didn't she think of that?

"But don't think that'll get you into the office," the Grunt said, smirking. "It's useless unless you have the other password."

"What the _hell_ do you mean, other password?" Ethan demanded. "We weren't informed of that!"

"Too bad, so sad. I don't know the other password, so why don't you find someone who does? I'm sure that they'd _love_ to meet you!" the Grunt said, smirking as she smugly sat on the nearby chair.

Xemnas (who was observing the Rocket Grunt) knew otherwise.

**Ethan, she's lying, **the Ralts told Ethan. **She knows the other password.**

_"You sure about that?" _Ethan thought, still a bit unnerved about how Psychic Pokemon communicated with their Trainers. That Ralts had a creepy voice...

**If you don't believe me...the other password is Raticatetail.**

"Raticatetail? That's_ it_? _I_ could have thought of that!" Ethan exclaimed, earning him a confused look from Lyra and a surprised look from the Grunt.

"How did you know the other password?" the Grunt demanded. Ethan sweatdropped, glancing at the Ralts. The Grunt followed Ethan's gaze and saw the Ralts, who used Confusion to keep her on her chair.

As Lyra and Ethan ran off, Lyra said, "It's convenient that we have Xemnas around! He got that password like it was no problem!"

"Yeah, Xemnas," he said to the Ralts on his head. "Thanks a lot."

Xemnas nodded. As much as he loved Ethan's frustration (thanks in part to his little attraction towards Lyra), Xemnas knew that he probably would have sicced Crimson on the Grunt, and he knew no human deserved Crimson's wrath.

...Hmmm. Perhaps having an actual heart can either be cumbersome or relieving.

* * *

As they walked towards the leader's office, the two heard a voice shout, "Hey, Pigtails!"

They jumped and turned around to see that it was Silver. The red-haired Trainer calmly walked towards them.

Ethan blinked as he whispered, "Hey, that's the guy who stole Totodile, isn't it? What's he doing here?"

When Silver stopped in front of the younger Trainers, he addressed Lyra: "So you are going after them again. You like them that much, Pigtails?"

"Hey!" Lyra snapped. "Who said I _liked_ them?"

"Tell me something," he said, ignoring Lyra's reply. "Who was the guy in the cape? The one with the Dragon-type Pokemon."

Ethan blinked. "You don't know? That's Lance!"

"Never heard of him," Silver deadpanned. "Anyway, my Pokemon were no match. But that doesn't matter: I can beat him by getting stronger Pokemon."

Lyra sighed. Looks like things hadn't changed...and why would she expect them to?

"But it's what he said that bothers me," Silver said, hands forming into fists. "He said that I don't love and trust my Pokemon enough. I'm so mad that I lost to a stupid bleeding heart like him!"

"Better a bleeding heart than a cold-hearted thief!" Ethan snapped. "Hell, I'm surprised you're not in Team Rocket, you have the attitude."

Silver immediately grabbed Ethan by the collar, about ready to punch him. He then glanced at the Ralts at his feet, and then at the stupid pigtailed girl and her stupid Typhlosion. They seemed about ready to fight him if he harmed her friend.

And she's beaten him every friggin' time.

"Hmph!" he snapped, dropping Ethan. "Like I have the time to waste on you two!"

And with that Silver marched off. Lyra stepped towards Ethan, helping him up.

"You okay, Eth?" she asked. Ethan nodded.

"Yeah, Ly. I don't know what came over me...maybe this place is getting to me," he said, putting a hand on his head.

"Well, there's the office door," she said, motioning towards the nearby door. "We'll be out in no time."

When they entered the passwords, the door opened. The figure inside (who was wearing a trenchcoat and a fedora) noticed the newcomers and smirked.

"I've been waiting for you, Lyra and Ethan," he said, chuckling.

"Who are you?" Lyra asked.

"You don't know? It is I, Giovanni!" the stranger exclaimed, laughing manically. The two Trainers gave him a deadpan look.

"No you're not," Lyra deadpanned.

As 'Giovanni' froze, Ethan continued, "You look nothing like the pictures I've seen of Giovanni..."

"And I don't think he has a nasally tone of voice, either," Lyra said. "I also don't think Giovanni has a British accent."

'Giovanni' pouted. "Awwww! I've worked so hard on this mimicry!" he complained, taking off the trenchcoat and hat. The imposter had neon purple hair, round glasses and the Rocket uniform.

"But a loss is a loss," he said. "I'm a Rocket Executive. You two must be trying to sneak into the Radio transmitter room. Well you can't! It's protected by a special password. The password is Hail Giovanni!"

Seeing Ethan and Lyra's surprised faces, Petrel smirked. "Surprised to hear it from me so soon?"

When the two nodded, the purple-haired Executive continued, "Just knowing it's not going to help you. It only opens when I say it. It's programmed to recognize the sound of my voice! Ha ha!"

As he was done with this taunt, he released a Zubat. Lyra released Larxene, who looked ready to go.

"Zubat, use Supersonic!"

"Larxene, Thunder Wave!"

* * *

When Petrel's last Pokemon (a Raticate) fainted, Petrel stammered, "I...I couldn't do a thing. Giovanni, please forgive me!"

"So what's this little plan of yours?" Ethan asked.

"Ever since Giovanni disbanded Team Rocket three years ago, he's been in hiding. But we've been certain that he's simply waiting for the opportune moment to rise again!" Petrel said, laughing. "But knowing all of this or defeating me won't help you get in the transmitter room!

As Petrel ran off, Lyra started after him.

"Hey, get back here!" she shouted. Ethan sighed, putting a hand on Lyra's shoulder.

"Forget it, Lyra. He's long gone," he said. Lyra pouted.

"But if we don't get him, that door won't be opened!" she exclaimed.

"I know," he said. "But maybe we can..."

"The password is...Hail Giovanni!"

Ethan and Lyra froze, glancing at the voice behind them.

Which came from a nearby...Murkrow?

Sure enough, the Dark/Flying type Pokemon sitting near the desk stared owlishly at them and opened its mouth to say, "The password is Hail Giovanni!"

Lyra, Ethan and their Pokemon gaped at the Murkrow. The Dark/Flying type imitated Petrel's voice perfectly! Maybe...

"Hey, Murkrow..." Lyra said in sing-song.

"We've got some crackers for you," Ethan said (also in sing song), "would you like one?"

"I don't need crackers," the Murkrow snapped, going through a sudden change in attitude. "At this point I'd do anything to get out of this bloody place."

Ethan, Lyra and their Pokemon gaped at the Murkrow.

"You..." Ethan started.

"You can talk!" Lyra said. "Just like Demyx!"

"Demyx?" the Murkrow asked, cocking its head to the side. "How do you know that name?"

Axel and Xemnas blinked at this.

_"Well, this is interesting..."_ Xemnas commented.

_"Luxord? That you?"_ Axel asked. The Murkrow - Luxord - blinked, flittering off of his perch and landing in front of them.

"Axel! I'd say it's bloody good to see you, although I do wish it were under better circumstances," he said. "Xemnas...I can honestly say I never expected this from you."

Luxord started laughing at his former superior's form.

_"If you weren't a Dark type Pokemon, I swear to Kingdom Hearts..." _Xemnas seethed.

When the Murkrow flitted off of its perch, Ethan managed to see the numeral X on its right foot.

"Lyra, it's another member!" Ethan exclaimed. Lyra blinked, and then noticed the numeral.

"It is! Wow, to think we'd find one here!" she exclaimed.

They glanced at the Murkrow glancing skeptically at them, and then at each other. An idea formulated in Lyra's head.

"So..." she started, checking the list. "Luxord. How exactly did you get here?"

"Those Team Rocket blokes put me in a cage and shipped me to the purple-haired fool you just defeated," the Murkrow replied. "But now that he's gone, I can escape. Nobody had the decency to properly capture me, so the odds of being free are in my favor."

"But what if they find you and ship you to Petrel again? The odds of that do exist, too," Ethan pointed out. Luxord paused before flying up to rest on Ethan's head.

"You've a point there, boy," he said. "Alright. After I provide that bloody fool's voice to help in your endeavor, I should like to go with you. You seem the type who gets into enough trouble."

"Uh...thanks?" Ethan asked.

"Well, come on! It's a deal!" Lyra said. "But before you put Luxord in a PokeBall, we have to open that door, so come on!"

Ethan nodded, returning Xemnas as they walked off.

It seemed that PokeMembers were popping up in the most surprising of places now...

* * *

I have no idea if I got Xemnas' character right, either. It's been ages since I've played KH2... *bows head in shame*

And you may be wondering why Luxord is a Murkrow. Well, I'm going to say that certain Generation V Abilities apply to this fic and point out that Murkrow has the Super Luck ability, which doubles the chances of critical hits.

And I don't know about you, but every time I read Petrel's dialogue, I mentally hear a mix of nasally and British accent.

So...no flamey please?


	24. Squirming Evil

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Kingdom Hearts. If I did, there would probably be chaos afoot.

And I'm super-duper-uber-hyper sorry that this took a REALLY long time to update. It was a mix of writer's block and college life. I've been trying to fend off the former as much as possible and the latter is kinda unavoidable. :/

And I've been replaying Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2 (which I haven't played in years) because my suitemate brought a PS2 with those games. And the more I play these games...the more convinced I am that I'm on the right track with these PokeMembers. :3

On with the fic!

* * *

"Alright, Luxord. This is the door," Ethan stated as he and Lyra walked up to the tower room. Luxord regarded the silvery blue doors in what could be called amusement.

"Right," the Murkrow said, clearing his throat. "The password is...Hail Giovanni!"

And with that the door to the tower opened. Luxord then turned to face Ethan.

"As we agreed," he stated. Ethan nodded, taking out an empty Ultra Ball. Luxord pecked the button, and when he was pulled into the ball, it disappeared. This caused Ethan to jump.

"Hey, where'd it...?" he exclaimed, looking around. Lyra replied, "That's what happens when you catch a Pokemon and have six in your party. Luxord's probably at Professor Elm's Lab by now."

"Okay, then," Ethan said, shrugging while releasing Xigbar. Professor Elm told him about this time and time again, but still...the disappearance was a little startling.

Xigbar looked around the place curiously. This reminded him somewhat of Hollow Bastion...back when Xehanort was still an old coot.

"Now, let's get to it!" Lyra said cheerfully as she, Axel and Ethan marched into the room.

"Hold it right there!"

Ethan and Lyra froze when they heard a feminine voice yell that. They turned around to see a woman, probably mid-thirties, with red hair, purple eyes and a devious smirk. Following her was a Rocket Grunt. That must be Ariana! Lyra couldn't shake the feeling that she looked a bit familiar...

Axel raised an eyebrow at this. _She looks like that Silver kid._..

"We can't let brats like you go waltzing about as you please," Ariana said. "It would ruin Team Rocket's reputation, you see. Making it lessen and all that. So it's time to finish you off. With our power, it will be no problem defeating brats like you!"

She then tossed a PokeBall, releasing an Arbok. As the Grunt beside her released a Drowzee, Ariana laughed, "Sorry, babies! But that's how the cookie crumbles!"

Lyra and Ethan glanced at each other, nodded, and returned their respective Pokemon.

"Mizu, it's all you!" Ethan shouted, releasing said Marill.

"Go for it, Saix!" Lyra yelled, tossing Saix's PokeBall. When the Umbreon jumped out of his PokeBall, Ariana's eyebrow quirked. It wasn't every day you'd be able to see a Shiny Pokemon, much less an Umbreon...

"Arbok, use Glare on that Umbreon!"

"Drowzee, use Confusion on Marill!"

"Water Gun on Arbok, Mizu!"

"Saix, use Bite on Drowzee!"

The Quick Claw that Mizu was holding started to glow before she squirted a burst of water at the Arbok. The snake-like Pokemon's glare paralyzed Saix, but that didn't stop him from biting into the Drowzee's hand, causing the Psychic-type to faint.

_That wasn't even a critical hit, _Ethan noticed, switching out Mizu for Xemnas. _That Grunt's Pokemon have to be a lot weaker than Ariana's, so we should take him down first, and then..._

Lyra used a Paralyz Heal on Saix before returning him and releasing Larxene. As she did this, the Grunt returned Drowzee and released a Grimer.

"Arbok, use Crunch on that Ralts!"

"Larxene, use Thunder Wave, and then Taunt on Arbok!"

"Xemnas, use Confusion on Grimer and then again on Arbok!"

"Grimer, use Mud-Slap on the Pikachu!"

Larxene smirked. _"Hey, Scaly! Yo mama's so stupid that at school she cheated off a Slowpoke's test!"_

Arbok glared murderously at the Pikachu as she got hit with the Grimer's Mud Slap. Xemnas then used Confusion on Grimer and then on Arbok. Grimer fainted while Arbok was weakened somewhat. Lyra used a Super Potion on Larxene.

"Use Confusion again, Xemnas!"

"Arbok, get up and Crunch that Ralts!"

Arbok could not use Crunch on Xemnas, for the Psychic-type used Confusion before Arbok could do so. As a result, Arbok fainted.

Ariana gritted her teeth as she returned Arbok and released a Murkrow. Immediately, Ethan returned Xemnas and brought out Lexaeus.

The Grunt ran off the minute Grimer was returned, yelling, "I'm sorry, boss!"

Lyra smirked at this. Now it was two against one! This was in the bag!

Ethan noticed Lyra's smirk and almost felt his heart stop. He had battled before, but had never seen Lyra battle anyone (much less battled _with_ her), so this whole experience was new to him. To see this other side of Lyra was...

Was...

He was snapped out of his thought by Lyra's command: "Larxene, use Thunder Wave!"

"Oh, uh...Rock Slide, Lexaeus!"

"Murkrow, use Night Shade on that Pikachu!"

After Larxene's Thunder Wave paralyzed Murkrow, the bird Pokemon sent a dark wave towards the Pikachu. She fainted as a result. Afterwards, Lexaeus aimed a barrage of rocks at the opponent, causing it to faint.

"Good job, Lexaeus!" Ethan praised as Lyra returned Larxene.

"Good job, Larx," Lyra said to the PokeBall. "You deserve a good rest."

Ariana returned Murkrow and said, "This isn't over yet!"

At this, she released a Gloom. When he saw Lyra release Axel, he smiled, not even bothering to return his Pokemon. Not because he didn't care, but rather because he knew that they would win.

"Axel, use Flame Wheel!"

That made mincemeat of Gloom. Ariana returned her Pokemon, examining the two Trainers before her. They were young...probably a bit younger than that Red kid who had interfered with Team Rocket's plans years ago.

"You two are strong," she said. "It's a shame, really. If you were to join Team Rocket, you two would be Executives in no time flat."

"Thanks but no thanks," Lyra deadpanned. Ethan nodded in fervent agreement.

Ariana sighed, "I knew you'd say that...but that's fine. The broadcast experiment was a total success. It doesn't matter what happens to this place now. We have bigger fish to fry. You'll learn to appreciate Team Rocket's power soon enough! Enjoy yourselves while you can..."

And with that, Ariana left. Lyra put her finger to her chin.

"Hey, Eth," she said, glancing towards the black-haired boy. "That lady reminds me of someone."

"You think so, too?" Ethan asked. "I just can't put my finger on it, but she does resemble someone we know..."

As Lyra nodded in agreement, Axel resisted the urge to facepalm.

That was when the four heard clapping. Ethan and Lyra stood at attention as Lance and his Dragonite entered the scene.

"Good job, you two!" he praised as he healed their Pokemon. "I saw how well you were doing, so we stayed back."

Ethan and Lyra blushed out of embarrassment. Axel glanced at the Dragonite.

_"Let me guess," _the Typhlosion said. _"You and Redhead were going to stay over there unless Ethan and Lyra were in trouble?"_

_"You got it!" _Dragonite said cheerfully.

"Now, all that's left to do is to turn this off," Lance said, turning towards the radio tower. The three Trainers and their Pokemon took a few steps towards the tower.

"I can't see a switch!" Ethan said after examinations were made. Lance looked around and spotted the Electrode sitting on the sides of the machine. Electricity was being drawn from them at a steady rate into the tower.

"We have no choice," the Dragon Master said softly. "We have to make all of these Electrode faint. That should stop the machine from creating the signal."

"Faint?" Lyra asked, sadness creeping into her heart. "But without anyone to heal them afterward, they might as well have died! It's not like they wanted to be a part of this!"

"Unless you and Ethan can think of an alternative..." Lance trailed off. The three stood there in silent thought until Ethan snapped his fingers.

"We could catch them," he said, "and maybe put them in an adoption agency of some kind? Isn't there one in Olivine City?"

"That agency's new, Ethan," Lyra pointed out. "It couldn't possibly hold six or so Electrode."

"But there is an agency in Saffron that could," Lance mused. He then broke out into a grin. "Yes, I don't see why we can't do just that! That's a splendid idea!"

Ethan blinked, dumbfounded. He never thought his idea would be so embraced like that. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as Lance got out six empty Ultra Balls.

"Now, let's catch some Electrode!" Lyra said cheerfully.

* * *

"Good job, guys!" Lance said after they caught the last one. "We got them all, so now the odd signal has stopped. The lake should be back to normal. I'd like to thank you on behalf of all the Pokemon there."

Lyra and Ethan blushed in embarrassment again as Lance continued, "Oh, and here. I found these here, but I don't really need them."

As he said this, he handed Lyra and Ethan **Hidden Machine # 05.**

"That teaches Whirlpool, which you can use to cross wild water. But you need the Badge from Mahogany Gym to use that move outside of battle."

"Okay, so the next step is to get that Badge, then!" Lyra said cheerfully. Ethan glanced at Axel thoughtfully.

"That Gym has Ice-type Pokemon, so I think you'll be okay, Ly," he mused. Lyra grinned at Ethan, who turned a bit red despite himself.

"So I'm assuming Lyra is taking the Gym Challenge? What about you, Ethan? Do you collect the Badges?" Lance asked. Ethan blinked, replying, "Oh, not me. I mean, sure, I collect the Badges, but it's only for the fun of it. I have six so far."

Lyra turned towards her friend, shock evident on her face.

"That's good, too," Lance said, face turning serious. "Now I have a question to ask of Lyra. The journey to becoming the Pokemon Champion is a long and difficult one. Knowing that, will you go on?"

Lyra immediately nodded, saying, "Why wouldn't I? I know it may be difficult, but I wouldn't be standing here if I wasn't chasing that dream to begin with! Besides, I have my friends backing me up! When we're together, we're invincible!" As she said this, she wrapped her arms around Ethan and Axel's shoulders. Ethan's blush intensified as Axel was reminded of the similarities between Lyra and Sora.

Lance's lips quirked into a smile. "You're right. And if that's the case, I look forward to the day when we battle. I'll be seeing you two!" he said.

As Lance left (with a flourish of his cape), Ethan thought of something.

"Hey, I just thought of something," he said, putting his finger to his chin in thought.

"Hmm?" Lyra turned towards her friend, smiling.

"How can Larxene use Taunt? Pikachu usually can't learn that."

Lyra froze, glancing at Larxene, who shrugged.

"I don't know," Lyra finally said. "I guess it's because she wanted to learn the move from the TM I got for it. Now that I think about it, maybe it has something to do with...you know..."

"That makes sense," Ethan mused. "From what I've seen, Larxene must have been a bitch in her past life."

Larxene gave Ethan a deadpan look before shocking him. As Ethan fell to the floor, charred, Lyra sweatdropped.

"Not to sound mean, but you probably shouldn't have said that," she said, crouching. Ethan nodded, mumbling something incoherent.

"Now come on," she said, helping Ethan up. "We better get to the Pokemon Center. Who knows what time it is now?"

* * *

"So what are you going to do now, Eth?" Lyra asked as she and Ethan waited for their Pokemon check-ups to be completed.

"What do you mean?" Ethan questioned, blinking.

Lyra shrugged, answering, "Well, you're always wandering through Johto. Every time we talk on the PokeGear you're always in a different place. Are you going to keep wandering?"

Ethan hummed, drumming his fingers on his knees. "Well, I don't know. Do you want me to go with you?" he blurted. He instantly covered his hands with his mouth, simultaneously covering his blush.

Lyra's eyebrow quirked. She hadn't expected him to ask that. She was planning on asking him to go with her! "Well, sure. Despite the fact that we had to beat a few Rocket Grunts, it was fun traveling with you. Besides, we promised each other we'd travel together when we were kids, remember?"

Blinking, Ethan nodded.

_Oh, yeah. That promise..._he thought, feeling a pang of guilt._ I __probably should have stuck with her from the start, then. _

"Okay, it's settled!" Lyra said as they were waved over by Nurse Joy. When they got their Pokemon back, Lyra stuck her pinky out towards Ethan.

"Promise you won't sneak out in the middle of the night?" she joked, grinning. Ethan blinked, staring at the outstretched pinky. He smiled softly, looping his pinky with hers.

"Yeah. I promise."

* * *

I typed all of this up at one in the morning after two months of writer's block. I pretty much condemned myself to fall asleep in class (on my busiest day of the week, no less!)...all for you readers. Before you feel bad, don't: I just love you guys (and this story) that much! :)

What'd you think? Remember, good reviews make an author happy. Flames make an author sad.


	25. Villains of a Sort

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Kingdom Hearts. If I did, there would probably be chaos afoot.

I uploaded a separate oneshot for this. It's called _Wish Granted_. And I also put up _Alternate Rebirths_, which basically depicts AU versions of this fic. You might want to check those out. Just a thought.

HO-HO-HO! I have just the Christmas (Eve) present for you, boys and girls! A new (and extra long) chapter of _XIII Pokemon_! I hope you like it. :3

On with the fic!

* * *

"Wow! I can't believe how hard that was!" Ethan exclaimed as he and Lyra walked out of the Mahogany Gym. Lyra grinned, polishing her newly earned Badge.

"I don't know, Eth," she responded. "You held up pretty well. Are you sure you're collecting Badges just for the fun of it?"

"Yep! Even if I did want to challenge the League, I don't think I could hold a candle to you. I mean, Axel took down Piloswine pretty quickly!" Ethan said, grinning.

Axel and Mizu rolled their eyes. _Will Ethan just stop flirting with her? And how could Lyra be so oblivious?_

"Oh, there's this radio channel that you should check out, Ly!" Ethan exclaimed, fishing out his PokeGear from his pocket. But when he pushed the button...

**_"Um. Testing, one, two, three...Ahem. We are the awesome Team Rocket!"_**

_That _caught the attention of nearly everyone in the range. Lyra and Axel glanced at each other, a bored look on the Typhlosion's face. Really?

_**"Yeah, it's been three years, but we've rebuilt and renovated everything! We're proud to announce our glorious return!"**_

Lyra and Ethan glanced worriedly at each other as the broadcast continued, _**"Hey! Giovanni! Can you hear us? We finally did it! ... Hey, I wonder where he could be? I wonder if he heard..."**_

Ethan turned the radio off at this point. Almost instantly, whispers could be heard around the general area.

_"Team Rocket?"_

_"Not them again..."_

_"They're really back now, aren't they...?"_

That was when Lyra's PokeGear started to ring. She answered it and Professor Elm's image flickered on the screen.

**"Lyra, did you hear the radio broadcast just now?" **he asked. She nodded, replying, "Yeah, me and Ethan."

**"Ethan's with you? Good, good. Better to travel in groups, after all," **Elm said hurriedly.** "But I'm worried. Do you think something's happening in Goldenrod City?"**

Before Lyra could answer, Elm said, **"That can't be right...maybe it's just a stupid prank. Sorry to bug you!"**

When the Professor hung up, Lyra and Ethan glanced at each other.

"Think we should head to Goldenrod?" Lyra asked. Ethan nodded.

"Probably. I'm getting worried about Grandma and Grandpa," he replied.

"Well then," Lyra said as she and Ethan got out their Bikes. "Let's roll!"

* * *

When they got to Goldenrod City, the first thing they noticed was the fact that everywhere you looked, you could see a Team Rocket member doing something. Whether it was terrorizing innocents or just chatting and laughing with each other.

"So now what?" Lyra asked.

"I'm going to check on the Day Care Center. I have a bad feeling," Ethan replied, getting on his bike again. "In the meantime, you should probably try to find a way to drive them out."

Lyra nodded as Ethan took off. "Good luck, Ethan!"

"You too, Ly!" Ethan shouted back. When he was out of sight, Lyra hummed.

"Now, I guess I should start by making sure my Pokemon are okay..." she mused, heading for the Pokemon Center. When she entered the institute...

"Oh, thank Arceus!" Lyra heard someone say. She blinked when she saw...

"June?" Lyra asked skeptically, walking towards the older Breeder.

"I'm so glad you're here!" June said in relief. "I was afraid it was going to be another Rocket Member!"

"They were in the Pokemon Center?" Lyra asked, alarms going off in her head.

"No. At least, not yet. Everyone here is preparing, though. Better to keep up your guard in situations like this, right?"June asked, smiling. Lyra nodded when she noticed a Roselia wandering around the room.

"Is he yours?" Lyra asked. June followed Lyra's gaze towards the Grass-type.

"Oh? No, he's not mine. He's not anyone's, really," June replied. "I found that Roselia in the alleyways. I had to ward off a few Team Rocket members. He was so beat up he didn't struggle when I carried him here."

"That's really nice of you," Lyra said. Larxene (who was out at this moment) hopped off of Lyra's shoulder and approached the Roselia. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the numeral _XI_ on the Roselia's shoulder.

_"Well, well. If it ain't Marly. Can't say I'm surprised," _she said, grabbing the Roselia's attention. When he saw the numeral on her tail, he smiled.

_"Larxene! It's good to see you after all this time," _he said. _"Although I'm surprised at your cute form."_

_"Say something like that again__ and I'll tell the other members you got beat up."  
_

_"Try me, Relena."_

_"Gladly, Lamuria!" _

June and Lyra observed the two Pokemon interacting.

"That's the Pichu I gave you, right? She seems to be getting along with Roselia." June asked. Lyra nodded, noticing Roselia's numeral. Swiftly checking the list (and the name - Marluxia), she said, "Yeah. It's like they were friends in another life."

Marluxia heard that and asked Larxene, _"Is that your Trainer? Does she know about...?"_

_"Yep," _Larxene replied. _"She also has Demyx, Saix, Zexion, Roxas, and Axel."_

_"Axel? And does that girl think she could get me to be in a team with him? Give me one good reason why I should!"_

_"Well fine. Don't join the team and miss out on Team Rocket bashing. Because that's what we're gonna do, ya know."_

That caught Marluxia's attention.

_"Team Rocket...those are the people in black outfits with the red Rs on their chests, correct?"_

_"Yep. We've had several run-ins with them before. If you join us, you'll be able to have your revenge," _Larxene sing-songed. _"And besides, are you really going to miss the opportunity to be in a team with yours truly again?"_

Marluxia seemed a bit thoughtful at this. Axel was the one who backstabbed him, true...he was angry that the fire-user got another chance at life. But having to deal with Saix is probably punishment enough for the pyro. And besides...Larxene and Marluxia were always together. From their Somebody life to the Organization days.

_"Alright, I'll join. But only for Team Rocket revenge and the fact that the two of us have been together for so long," _Marluxia finally said.

_"Yeah, and if Axel gives you a hard time, just threaten to poison him," _Larxene replied as the two walked towards Lyra. _"He hates being poisoned."_

_"This is why we're best friends. Thanks, Larxene. And besides..." _Marluxia said. His face then broke out into a mischevious grin. _"Axel and Saix together in the same team...this I gotta see!" _At this he rushed towards Lyra. Before the pigtailed girl could say anything, the Roselia grabbed a PokeBall from Lyra's bag and pressed the button. As it shut, June and Lyra blinked.

"That's an interesting way to get a Pokemon," June noted. Lyra shrugged.

"My Pokemon make friends pretty quickly. I can only imagine how they do it," she said, hoping to not have to go into detail. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

Lyra and June waved at each other as Lyra walked towards the computer. After she organized her team (Axel, Zexion, Roxas, Larxene, Saix, and Marluxia), she walked out of the Center and released everyone in the team.

"Guys," she addressed everyone. "Look who I happened to find."

_"Marly?" _Axel asked, walking up to the Roselia. _"Can't say I'm surprised. You're all flowery."_

Marluxia smirked. _"Be careful what you say, backstabber. I heard from a very reliable source that you don't like being poisoned. As it turns out, I can poison Pokemon pretty easily."_

Axel instantly backed off.

_"Like you're one to talk about backstabbing,"_ Zexion mused. _"Weren't you the one who wanted to control Sora and take over the Organization?"_

Marluxia glanced at the Haunter. _"You never struck me as the type who could hold a grudge, Zexion."_

_"I'm not. And I don't. I'm just merely stating that you should not be hypocritical about these kinds of things."_

_"Look, can we talk later?" _Larxene huffed. _"The only reason Marly's in our team in the first place is because I told him we'd kick Team Rocket ass."_

Almost like she was listening in on the conversation, Lyra returned everyone except for Larxene and went on her way.

"Come on, Larxene," she said. "I think we'll have to infiltrate the Radio Tower. Our first step is to get a costume. And I know just the place..."

* * *

Lyra knew of a place that offered pictures taken of Trainers and their Pokemon in the Goldenrod Underground. The twist to this is that the Trainer would be decked in a Team Rocket uniform.

Which is why she and Larxene were there. When a Grunt noticed them, he asked, "Hey, what's your business? You look a little young to be a member."

"Well..." Lyra said, almost nervously. _Think of something, Lyra!_ "That's what I am. A new member."

"What?" the Grunt shrieked, falling into laughter. "You're so puny! Are you sure you didn't just lose your way, kid?"

_Think of someone who's menacing, intimidating, and scary…_

_Wait a sec! _

Lyra made sure to make eye contact with the Grunt as she said. "Now that you mention it, I'm sure I must have. I joined because I heard the pay was good and the employees were professional criminals. You look more like a drunken juvenile than a professional criminal. "

"You cheeky little…" the Grunt seethed. Larxene started to smirk at this. She always knew that Lyra could be a bitch when she wanted to be!

"Hey, you look kinda familiar," the Grunt said, squinting at the girl. "If I had my glasses I'd be able to tell for sure, 'cuz I lost my stupid contacts…What's your name?"

Lyra sweatdropped. How was she going to…?

She glanced at Larxene and that caused a lightbulb to go off in her head. She realized a while ago that Roxas' name was based on Sora's name with an X thrown in, so if she did that with her name…

"It's Larxy," she said. Larxene quirked an eyebrow at this, as did the grunt.

"Larxy," the grunt deadpanned. "That supposed to be short for somethin'?"

"No. It's just Larxy. Not that that's any of _your_ business. Now where's my uniform?"

"Uniform?"

"Oh, you didn't hear? Executive Ariana told me to come down here, since they ran out of uniforms at the Tower," she replied, performing a mixed imitation of Silver and Larxene. She narrowed her eyes. "You _do_ have uniforms in here, don't you? Don't tell me I'm going to have to tell her that we're out down here, too? She did seem to be in a bad mood…"

You could just _see_ the Grunt pale. "N-No! Of course we have some! Wait right here!" He grabbed a uniform out of a box and handed it to Lyra.

"This may be a bit baggy, but then again we're out of the female uniforms," he said.

"Whatever," Lyra said, taking the uniform. After that an awkward silence reigned. Lyra shot a menacing glare.

"Well? Are you going to show me to a dressing room or something? I'm not going to change out here, you know!" she snapped. The Grunt sweatdropped, pointing towards the door leading to the adjacent room.

"_Thank_ you!" she snapped, marching into the room. Upon examining the uniform, Lyra saw that it was indeed very baggy.

_Convenient, _she thought as she put the Rocket shirt over her striped T-shirt.

Then she proceeded to unzip a few zippers that her mother had shown her when she first got this outfit.

_"You never know when you're going to have to wear shorts!" _Arlene had said. Lyra never used it before because she figured it would be too much of a hassle.

_Not this time, _she thought as she put the pants on over her new shorts and switched her regular hat for the Team Rocket one. Stuffing her jacket, her pants legs and the marshmallow hat into her bag, she marched out. The Grunt glanced at her for a second.

"Looks good! Give the Executive my regards!" he complimented. "Try not to scare _too_ many people!"

Lyra managed to catch a glimpse of herself in a nearby mirror. She had to admit, even though she'd never actually join, the uniform really did look good.

"Whatever," she said, walking off. Larxene smirked as she followed.

_I'm proud of you, kid. I always knew you had it in you to be bitchy, _she thought.

"Wow, Larxene," Lyra said as the two walked into the Goldenrod streets. "This is actually kinda fun! I feel like it's Halloween!"

_...and the bitchiness is gone, _Larxene thought. _Kid, you're way too much like Sora._

* * *

The Grunt at the stairs brightened when he saw Lyra and Larxene walk into the room.

"Hey, a newbie!" he exclaimed, grinning. "I gotta say, you look pretty good in that uniform! Go on ahead!"

Lyra nodded. She was about to walk up the stairs when...

"Hey, Team Rocket!"

It was Silver! Lyra nearly fell down the stairs as she saw the redhead walk into the scene, glaring at her and the Grunt. Her eyes darted around nervously. What if he recognized her?

"Stop going around into small groups and troubling people. You're nothing but cowards!" Silver shouted at the taller Grunt. Then the redhead glanced at Larxene, who was glaring at Silver threateningly, sparks flying from her cheeks. Lyra could see Silver's facial expressions change from confusion to recognition...to pure horror.

"Lyra?" he choked.

Lyra froze. "I, uh...I don't know who you're talking about," she said hurriedly, sweatdropping.

"You think you're stronger now because you've _joined_ them?" Silver shrieked, marching up to Lyra. "I know you're an idiot, but I never thought you were _this_ dumb!"

"Silver, stop!" Lyra hissed, trying to make sure the Grunt couldn't hear her. "It's not...I just..."

"Take that off," Silver demanded, grabbing the hat on Lyra's head. "Take that stupid uniform off _now_!"

"Wha-? Hey, stop!" Lyra said as she struggled to get out of Silver's grip. By the time he tore the black hat off her head and ripped the Rocket shirt (to reveal the striped one she normally wore underneath, fortunately), it was too late. The Grunt pushed Silver out of the way and glowered at Lyra, who chuckled nervously.

"Oh, so you're _not_ a new member!"he exclaimed, releasing a Raticate. "I'll teach you to try to pull a fast one on Team Rocket!"

Lyra groaned, giving the command for her Pikachu to use Thunder Wave.

And Silver could only stare at the scene, stupified at the turn of events.

Lyra _didn't_ join Team Rocket after all. She wasn't brainwashed by the message his father tried to send. She was only trying to slip past their defenses and strike from within. She was still the idiotic knucklehead weakling that was always _there_ since his journey started.

Why did he feel so relieved thinking about that?

After Lyra beat the Grunt (with Marluxia beating the second Raticate), the Grunt ran off - probably to tell the other Grunts.

"Now I get it," Silver said, grabbing Lyra's attention. "You were trying to sneak past...Hmph! That's a typical weakling idea!"

In truth, Silver never thought of that. He was always the one to battle first and ask questions later.

"Well...yeah," Lyra admitted, taking of the Rocket pants to reveal shorts underneath. As she zipped pants legs on those shorts, she continued, "But you kinda ruined it."

"Well, it's not like it matters, anyway," Silver scoffed, walking towards the door.

Lyra's eyebrows quirked as she tugged the marshmallow hat on her head. "Where are you going?"

"If you had the stupid idea to sneak past, I _guess_ I'll be able to leave this to you. Besides, I need to train to take down that Dragon Trainer...Lance," Silver replied. "And after I take him down it'll be your turn. Be prepared for that!"

And with that, Silver walked out. Lyra glanced down at Marluxia.

"So...yeah, that's Silver," Lyra said, scratching the back of her head. "I'm not sure what exactly he has against Team Rocket...he seems like the poster boy for it, doesn't he?"

Marluxia nodded as he and Lyra continued up the stairs. But he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to this Silver boy than Lyra knew.

* * *

What'd you think?

Please leave a review. Reviews make wonderful Christmas presents. :3


	26. Waltz of the Damned

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Kingdom Hearts. If I did, there would probably be chaos afoot.

I just wanted to point something out about the last chapter...YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG THE UNIFORM PART HAS BEEN SITTING IN A WORD DOCUMENT. That is all.

And you guys might be surprised by how I leave the chapter off. You might curse blue streaks and yell at the computer (I'm not sure, because I can never predict how you guys react to a chapter). But just in case you get that reaction, I can at least say I warned you.

**HAPPY NEW YEAR! MAY 2012 BE AN AWESOME YEAR, AND MAY WE ALL LIVE TO SEE** **2013!**

On with the fic!

* * *

When Lyra opened the door to the Radio Director's office, she was greeted with a surprising sight: the Director, safe and sound, sitting in his comfy chair. He was smiling as he was talking on the phone, fiddling with the wires to a microphone that looked like it was recently moved into the room.

Before Lyra could say anything, Zexion (who was out at this moment) floated in front of her, shaking his head.

Lyra cocked an eyebrow, and when Zexion pointed at the Director...

"Hmmm..." the Director mused, "Team Rocket is scum? Madness, I say! We will keep broadcasting these lovely messages! I want no complaints, now~!"

And at that, the Director hung up. But Lyra recognized his voice. It was absolutely unmistakable. It was Petrel! And since the Director hardly talked over the radio (apparently the only time that people would care to recognize anyone's voice), for all anyone knew he could have that nasally voice! But how to get that message across to everyone outside...?

Getting an idea, Lyra turned to Zexion with a questioning look, gesturing towards the microphone sitting innocently on the desk. The Ghost type nodded and turned invisible for a minute.

"Well, don't you sound familiar!" Lyra said when her Haunter reappeared. The 'Director' jumped, seeing Lyra. "What? Can't you see that I'm busy impersonating the...I mean, little girl, I don't know how you got here, but..."

"Save it, Petrel," Lyra deadpanned. "You can disguise your looks all you want, but you can't disguise your voice worth your life."

Petrel pouted, taking off his disguise. "Awww! But you have to admit that I did a good job of impersonating the Director!" he exclaimed.

Lyra glanced at Zexion, who shook his head. "Looks like my Haunter's seen better."

_That is for certain, _Zexion thought as Lyra continued, "So why are you impersonating the Director, Petrel?"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" the purple-haired Admin responded. "I'm doing this to help influence the entire Johto region to support Team Rocket's endeavors! That's our plan in a nutshell, you know. That and get Giovanni back into business. If he shows up we'll be doing everything we could do three years ago, and then some!"

"I see," Lyra said. "And nobody knows about that impersonating thing, right? For all everyone downstairs - and all of Johto - know, you're the actual Director."

"I'm afraid that's right," Petrel said, snickering. "And even if you told everyone, who'd believe you? You're just a kid, a kid who..."

Petrel paused, narrowing his eyes. "Wait a minute..."

Lyra blinked, and then she _and_ her Haunter grinned the widest grins.

"Know what this is~?" Lyra asked in sing-song as she held up the switch for the microphone. Petrel looked at it, puzzled until...

...he saw that the switch was set to ON.

* * *

**MEANWHILE! **

"Okay, everything's taken care of!" Ethan said, walking into the lobby of the Day Care Center.

"Thanks, Ethan," Mark replied, smiling. "For this and chasing off those Rocket thugs. If you didn't get here, Arceus knows what could have happened!"

Ethan smiled, scratching the back of his head.

"And you've gotten to be such a good battler!" Peggy gushed, pinching Ethan's cheeks. "I bet Lyra's noticed~!"

Ethan blushed a few shades of red at this, causing his Pokemon (who were all out at this time) to groan. Peggy smiled mysteriously.

"Sorry, it looks like I stuck my nose where it wasn't wanted," she said, walking towards the radio. "Let's see if this whole Rocket thing has died down yet."

And when she turned the radio on...

_**"So why are you impersonating the Director, Petrel?"**_

"Lyra?" Ethan asked, immediately recognizing the voice.

"Is that Lyra?" Mark asked, coming into the room with sandwiches. Peggy added, "And who's this Petrel person?"

_**"Well, isn't it obvious? I'm doing this to help influence the entire Johto region to support Team Rocket's endeavors! That's our plan in a nutshell, you know. That and get Giovanni back into business. If he shows up we'll be doing everything we could do three years ago, and then some!"**_

_**"I see. And nobody knows about that impersonating thing, right? For all everyone downstairs - and all of Johto - know, you're the actual Director."**_

"Petrel's one of the Rocket Executives," Ethan responded. "He's basically the one who disguises himself in every way possible. He can't change his voice convincingly, so he's not very good."

_**"I'm afraid that's right. And even if you told everyone, who'd believe you? You're just a kid, a kid who...****Wait a minute..."**_

The three heard Lyra and a Haunter snickering.

_**"Know what this is~?" **_

After about fifteen seconds, Petrel started to stammer.

_**"WH...WHAAAAAAAAT? ****H-how long? How long has that microphone been on?"**_

Everyone in the room started laughing hysterically at this. Everyone except for Xemnas and Lexaeus, who simply looked at one another.

_"This sounds like something Axel would pull off," _Lexaeus commented.

_"Or Number VI. Remember how he likes to trick people with his powers?" _Xemnas asked. _"What's the phrase that Axel likes to use...Mindfuckery?"_

_**"For about our entire conversation, Petrel. You just exposed your leg of the plan to everyone in Johto!"**_

_"Well, it's clear that Lyra's enjoying it,"_ Mizu added.

_**"But...what...I can't..."**_

* * *

Petrel couldn't believe it. Outsmarted by a kid and her Pokemon! He started to whine. Archer would _not_ be too happy with this blunder.

Sure enough, his walkie-talkie started to ring. He pushed the button and winced. Yep, Archer was not happy.

**"Petrel, meet me upstairs," **he said.** "I want to talk to you."**

Petrel winced at this. "Alright, Archer. I'll be there in a minute," he said, hanging up. Lyra had just turned the microphone off at this point.

"Listen, since you managed to outsmart me, I'll tell you where the real Director is," he told Lyra. "Listen carefully. We stashed him in the Underground Warehouse. At the end of Goldenrod Tunnel. Since I'm so nice, I'll just leave this key here." As he said this, he took a card out of his pocket and put it on the desk.

Lyra raised an eyebrow. "That's it? No battle, nothing?" she asked.

"Nah," Petrel said, shrugging. "My Pokemon aren't up to it. Besides, when I joined Team Rocket, they set up this rule for me: if anybody manages to beat me in a battle or outsmart me, I have to stay out of their way. Not that a child like you will be able to stop us on time. At this point it's highly doubtful." At that he started to smirk.

Lyra took the key from the desk. "Well...thanks, I guess." she said, walking out.

* * *

Lyra ran down the Goldenrod Tunnel, with Saix following closely.

"This could be it, Saix!" Lyra exclaimed. "If we rescue the Director, everything should fall into place from there!"

Saix nodded. It was then that they almost bumped into another Kimono Girl.

"Hello," she said. "Team Rocket members have been running around. I was wondering what was going on. You're the one who took them on?"

Lyra nodded, causing the mysterious girl to smile.

"That's splendid! You might be able to face the legendary Lu-" she started. She then stopped herself, earning her looks of confusion from Lyra and Saix. "Never mind that now. I must go now."

And with that the girl danced past Lyra and out of sight.

"What was that about?" Lyra asked. "You don't think...no, that's ridiculous."

Saix was confused, too. The Legendary Lu...? It hit him right then and there. Demyx said that Lyra mentioned a legendary Pokemon named Lugia. Was this the same Pokemon the girl almost referred to?

_Well, it looks like we will face that Pokemon after all, _he thought, grinning ferally. He couldn't wait.

* * *

"Hold it!"

Lyra jumped at the shout coming from behind her. She turned and saw Silver marching towards her.

"Silver?" Lyra asked, eyebrows raised. "I thought you were going to train!"

"Idiot, that was a lie," Silver deadpanned. "I figured it would let me tail you, and that it would lead me to Lance."

"But Lance isn't here," she commented.

"I know!" he exclaimed. "But that doesn't matter, now does it? I was planning to beat you after Lance, but since you're here now, I'll gladly beat you first!"

And at this he released his Magnemite. Lyra returned Saix and summoned Axel from his PokeBall.

"Axel, use Flame Charge!"

"Thunder Wave, Magnet!"

Axel's move made mincemeat of the Magnemite, but not before he got paralyzed by a Thunder Wave. Silver scoffed at this, returning Magnet.

"That means nothing. I promise that this next Pokemon won't be so easy!" he shouted, hurling another PokeBall. The Pokemon that was released surprised her and Axel. It was a Cloyster.

_A Cloyster? _she thought. _So now he's playing a defensive card? _

The Cloyster grinned - almost evilly - at Axel.

"It's been quite a while, Axel," the Cloyster said. Lyra gasped - this was the third Pokemon she met that could talk! But something didn't add up...what did Cloyster mean by 'quite a while'?

That was when Lyra saw it.

The numeral_ IV_ on one of the Cloyster's spikes.

Which meant that Silver had one of the PokeMembers on his team.

And from Axel's facial expression, it was clear he was thinking the same thing.

_Oh, crap._

* * *

THERE'S A TWIST IN THE 'SILVER HAS VEXEN' THEORY IN THIS FIC!

Because most people have asked if Vexen turns out to be Silver's Sneasel. Since all of you asked (you know who you are), I decided to change things up a bit, since it would be a tad predictable. So I deemed it appropriate that Sneasel be scrapped and thus Cloyster!Vexen was born.

The reasoning: I compared Sneasel's stats with Cloyster's on Bulbapedia. They both had the same amount of Attack power, but Cloyster beat Sneasel in Special Attack. I think Silver would want a good hitter that also has a hecka good defense (since Lyra depends on offense as much as Silver does, if not more so) as opposed to a light hitter with speed. But that's "AquaFlame logic" for ya.

Another thing: since I'm using Generation V abilities for some Pokemon, I think it only fair that I use Gen V moves as well. Hence Axel using Flame Charge. ^^

Please leave a review. Reviews are a wonderful way to ring in the New Year. :3


	27. Scherzo Di Notte

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Kingdom Hearts. If I did, there would probably be chaos afoot.

***insert shameless shout-out to Pika-Thunder, who is writing Shadow Hearts, which is a PK-Approved spin off of this fic.***

And because of tumblr, I'm hooked on the song Twister. Which is apparently going to be featured in KH3D and was in The World Ends with You. Now I really want to get these games...maybe I'll get TWEWY in time for summer to roll around. :3

On with the fic!

* * *

Axel was surely shocked at this change in events. Silver, the closest thing to a villain they had - not counting Team Rocket, of course - had Vexen, who was clearly out for Axel's blood.

_"Well, this is awkward," _Axel muttered.

Lyra could barely comprehend what just occurred. Silver had a PokeMember? Does that mean he knew about the Organization...?

"Well...uh," Lyra finally said. Silver looked just as stupified as Lyra and her Pokemon were, if not more so.

"Pigtails, what are you waiting for?" he demanded. Lyra snapped out of it.

"Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed, returning Axel and releasing Larxene, who instantly saw the _IV_ marking.

_"Well, if it ain't the old man," _Larxene said, smirking. Vexen glared at the Pikachu.

"Silence, Larxene! Disrespectful pup!" he snarled. "It's just as I thought...this young girl has all the traitors! She doesn't know that, does she?"

This threw Lyra in for a loop. Traitors? Is that how the Organization started to disappear? Mutiny? She figured Sora had beaten all the members or something.

Contrary to what this Cloyster might think, she figured that some of them would have been bad guys - if Larxene's behavior before Hoshi came and Saix were any indication - but then again...

_"I don't know what Zexy and the others told you when you were in that Replica Room, but we __were_ kinda the bad guys. Being 'heartless' and all. I mean, sure, most of us terrorized people, and I had to steal something. Sora got the object back, but we did them for the same reason: we wanted our hearts back."

Demyx's words echoed through her mind. If some of them were traitors, was that just their 'heartlessness' showing?

She shook the thought of of her head and glanced at Silver.

"Do you know what he's talking about?" she asked. Silver hesitated before answering, "No."

Larxene glanced at Lyra, annoyed. Lyra noticed this and sighed.

"We'll probably discuss this later...Larxene, use Thunderbolt on Cloyster!"

"Cloyster, Auroura Beam!"

Vexen shot a colorful beam at Larxene, who dodged it and zapped her opponent.

"Good! Now finish it with Electro Ball!"

Larxene smirked. Vexen wasn't exactly the fastest Nobody - or Pokemon - for that matter. This was in the bag.

Sure enough, Vexen toppled over after Larxene's attack hit. Before he fainted, he muttered, "Interesting...this girl seems to have some faith in you. Reckless, just like Sora."

Lyra blinked. Sora again...

The rest of the battle seemed to fly by. Larxene and Marluxia made mincemeat of Jaws, and Zexion was called out to take care of Phantom. Saix was called out to take care of Lestat after that.

When Lestat fluttered to the floor and fainted, Silver returned him. He glanced at the floor resentfully.

"Why can't I win? I caught the toughest Pokemon I can find. I never hold back. So why do I lose?" he asked himself, taking out a PokeBall (probably the one that held Jaws).

Lyra felt a pang of pity for the older boy.

"Silver..." she started. "Maybe it's like Cloyster said. About me having faith in my Pokemon. You have to have more faith in yours. I mean, I know you're not as ruthless as you might want everyone to believe."

"And what makes you think that?" Silver spat.

"You never released Jaws," Lyra said simply. "Even though you've said he was weak every single time you lost, you never released any of your Pokemon, did you?"

Silver had no idea what to say about this. Was that Lance guy right? Was it because he didn't trust his Pokemon enough? Is he really lacking in love and trust? Is that keeping him from winning?

An awkward silence hung until...

"Tell me something," Silver said. "About Cloyster. He knew your Pokemon. And this is the first time I've used him fighting you. I didn't even know he could _talk_ until we fought you."

Lyra sweatdropped. "Uh...just a weird coincidence?" she asked.

"Pigtails, that was _way_ too weird to be a coincidence," Silver deadpanned. "Now I _know_ you know something about this, and I'm not leaving until you give me the truth."

Lyra bit her lip. Should she really tell Silver about this? He did have Vexen, but it wasn't like Silver was her friend or anything...

"Well, I guess this is the best way to explain it...What do you know about the heart?"

* * *

Silver held a hand to his head after Lyra explained everything.

"Let me see if I got this," Silver started. "This heartless otherworldly cult is bent on getting their hearts back. One by one they disappear through a coup or something, and through some fluke, they're reborn as Pokemon?"

Lyra nodded. "Apparently the numerals on our Pokemon are proof; they addressed each other as numbers and the numbers must've carried themselves in that life. I don't know every detail about it, really," she said. "And I understand if you don't believe me. I had a hard time believing it for a while when I found out."

Silver huffed. Lyra sighed.

"And about the whole betrayal thing...I don't think any of them were really the bad guys. They _did_ do bad things, but someone told me that it was they desperately wanted to get their hearts back, because that was the center of their emotions. Without it, they couldn't feel love or anything like that."

Silver pondered this. "Are you and I the only ones who...?"

"No. Ethan has a few PokeMembers with him."

Silver scoffed at the term Lyra used. That sounds like something a stupid little kid would have made up. Regardless, he'd have a talk with Vexen about this later...

"Where are you going?" Lyra asked as Silver walked off.

"Somewhere. Anywhere. I need to think things through," he replied. "I'm not sure if I believe this 'PokeMember' thing. But remember: I'm not going to let anything stop me. Nothing will stop me from being the world's strongest Trainer! I _will_ be back to defeat you, Lyra!"

And with that, Silver walked off. Lyra's eyes widened; was that the first time Silver called her anything other than Pigtails? She grinned.

_I wouldn't have it any other way, Silver, _she thought as she hurried on her way.

* * *

Hours later, Lyra found the real Director. He was tied to a chair, tucked away into a corner in the basement.

"Who? What?" he said, jumping when he heard footsteps. When he saw a young Trainer and a Roselia, he was ecstatic.

"You came to save me!" he exclaimed. "Thank you! What's happening at the Radio Tower?"

Lyra untied the ropes holding the Director, saying, "It's been taken over by Team Rocket. I think they wanted to see if they can get Giovanni back with them."

"In that case, take this," he said, handing Lyra a card. "Use this to open the shutters on the third floor. Please help. Not only is the risk of Giovanni returning present, but I fear that they'll use the transmitter to control Pokemon! Please hurry!"

"I'm on it!" Lyra said, saluting and running off. Marluxia followed, shaking his head as he did so. Everybody was right; Lyra and Sora are completely similar.

* * *

"Hey, Lyra!"

Lyra grinned as she saw Ethan running towards her. "Ethan! How's the Day Care Center?"

"Better now. I had to drive a few Grunts away!" he replied as they bolted towards Radio Tower. "How about you?"

"I have a key to the top floors! We could be able to stop this thing, Eth!" she shouted as they entered the building.

The two went up a few floors until they were stopped by Proton.

"Aren't you the kid who stopped us at Slowpoke Well?" he growled at Lyra. "It seems you have a penchant for making me angry. Since you seem to wish it, I'll show you the true extent of an Executive's wrath!"

And at this he released his Wheezing and Golbat. Lyra took out the PokeBalls holding Larxene and Roxas.

"Larxene, use Thunderbolt on Golbat! Roxas, Force Palm on Wheezing!"

The duo of Larxene and Roxas quickly took down the two opponents. Proton returned his Pokemon, stunned.

"You may have won this time, but all you did was make our wrath grow!" he yelled, running up the stairs.

Ethan glanced at Lyra. "Slowpoke Well? That was you?" he asked.

"Yep. I guess you could say I've been foiling their plans since the beginning," she replied sheepishly. "It's kind of appropriate that I'd be there to end it, right?"

Ethan blinked, and then nodded.

"Yeah. Now let's go up."

* * *

They were stopped by Ariana as they made their way towards the elevator.

"Hey, remember me? From the hideout in Mahogany?" she asked. "This time...I'll make you pay!"

Ethan glanced at Lyra and gestured towards the elevator. Lyra - instantly getting the gist - sputtered, but then nodded. She jolted towards the elevator and quickly slipped in when the doors opened. Ariana released her Arbok at this.

"Arbok, stop her!" she yelled. The snake Pokemon was about to do so when it was interuppted by a Rock Slide, courtesy of Lexaeus, who was now a Pupitar.

"Aw, isn't that cute," Ariana mocked as the elevator doors shut. "You're taking the fall to help your little girlfriend out."

"Who said I was going to fall?" Ethan said, smirking. "Lyra's not the only capable battler from New Bark Town. Lexaeus, use Rock Slide again!"

"Why do you and Pigtails waste all of your strength being good? It's too bad, really; I've come to respect that strength. Arbok, use Glare!"

* * *

The elevator doors opened in front of Lyra. She stepped into the room and was bowled over; it had an excellent view of Goldenod City, and the night sky that glittered overhead. Was it really that dark out?

"Well, well. You made it this far, have you? You must be quite the Trainer," a voice said. She jumped to see a young man with teal hair and the Rocket uniform.

"You're Archer," Lyra said, more statement than question. Archer nodded.

"Very good. As you no doubt have heard, we intend to officially announce our comeback in taking over this Radio Tower. Our main goal is to bring Giovanni back out of hiding. We will regain our former glory...I will not let a child like you interfere with our plans!"

At this he released a Houndour. Lyra released Roxas at this. Archer raised an eyebrow.

"We appear to be evenly matched," he commented. "One Fire move and that'll be the end for you Lucario. Houndour, use Fire Fang!"

Flames surrounded Houndour's teeth, and it bit down on Roxas' leg. The Lucario yelped, but did not pass out. Lyra smirked.

"True, but sometimes that's a good thing. Roxas, use Reversal!"

Roxas grabbed the Houndour and pummeled it to the floor. Swirls replaced the Houndour's eyes.

Archer returned the fainted Houndour and growled.

"You caught me off guard, but it won't happen again!" he said, releasing a Koffing.

Lyra wanted to laugh; an Executive had a Wheezing, and the leader had a Koffing? Regardless, she returned Roxas and released Saix, who instantly noticed the moon hanging in the sky. He smirked; as an Umbreon, he felt more natural when he fought in the nighttime. A little more...berserk.

_"Moon, shine down!" _he said, closing his eyes and concentrating. Lyra was a bit put off by Saix's behavior; he did that every time he was called out at night. Maybe he had his own religion that centered on the moon?

Strange...

"Use Shadow Ball, Saix!"

"Koffing, use Sludge!"

Koffing hurled a purple blob of goo at Saix, who barely seemed affected. He formed a large ball of shadows and aimed it at the Poison-type. It was a direct hit.

"Grr...Koffing, Sludge again!"

"Faint Attack!"

Saix's attack was a critical hit, and so Koffing was easily taken down. Archer returned the Poison type and said, "We can't let you get in the way...not before news of this reaches Giovanni!"

At this he released a Houndoom. Lyra gulped, wishing she had brought Demyx with her. Maybe...

"Saix, return!" she said, returning the Umbreon. "Larxene, go for it!"

The Pikachu jumped out of her PokeBall, smirking.

"Use Taunt and then Thunder Wave!"

_"Hey, Hellboy! Yo mama's so ugly, she makes blind kids cry!"_

Houndoom growled murderously at the Pikachu as she sent the paralyzing shock its way.

"Bad move. Houndoom, use Fire Fang!"

"Thunderbolt, Larxene!"

Larxene was able to shock the opponent, but not before the Houndoom's attack burned her. Cursing, Lyra returned Larxene and released Zexion. The Haunter assessed the situation and nodded, almost predicting what Lyra was going to do.

"Use Curse, Zexion!"

"Bite!"

Zexion drove the nail into himself, placing the curse on Houndoom. He went down at the Bite attack. Lyra returned the Haunter, smiling.

"Good job, Zex," she said. "I owe you big time for this."

Then she released Axel. He grinned ferally. This looked like he was the boss of this establishment; if they win, Team Rocket would be gone for good!"

"Axel, Rollout!"

And that took out Houndoom. Archer looked at the scene in shock: here was this little girl, who single-handedly defeated him, who was supposed to be major domo in Giovanni's place!

"No! Forgive me, Giovanni!" he exclaimed, returning Houndoom. He walked towards a microphone, turned it on and spoke into it. "This is Executive Archer. I was just defeated by a young trainer, much like Giovanni three years ago. I wasn't able to do this after all. Like Giovanni before me, I will disband Team Rocket here and now."

After the police came to arrest the Executives, the Director walked up to Lyra.

"Thank you so much, Lyra!" he exclaimed, grinning. "Your actions have surely saved Pokemon nationwide. As a reward, I'll give you this."

At this he shoved a small object into Lyra's hands. It appeared to be a silver feather that could barely fit into Lyra's hand. It gleamed and sparkled as it caught in the moonlight.

"Right where we're standing, there used to be an old tower. When it was replaced with the Radio Tower, that was found at the top. I once heard from a friend in Cianwood City that you can go to some islands with that wing...I forget the name of the islands, sorry."

"The Whirl Islands?" Lyra asked. The Director beamed.

"That's it! And you can't just go there alone with just that Wing. Apparently there's something else that you need. I wonder what that is..." The Director mused, walking off. He suddenly stopped and glanced at Lyra.

"You were probably expecting something else, weren't you?" he asked. "That's what they call a Fake Out! I must head to my office now. Bye!"

Axel and Lyra facefaulted as the Director left. Dusting herself off, Lyra walked towards the elevator.

"Come on, Axel," she said. "We gotta find Ethan."

It didn't take them too long to find Ethan. He was still in the hallway where he battled Ariana. He grinned at her.

"Lyra, you did it! You beat that Archer guy!" he exclaimed as the two friends hugged. Lyra grinned back at him.

"Ohh, no you don't! Don't pin this all on me! You helped too!" she replied. "Ariana? And don't think I didn't see some of the Grunts outside glaring at you and Lexaeus. What did you do?"

"I might've helped with something outside," he said sheepishly. "That friend of yours - what was her name, June? - and I rallied some citizens against the Grunts outside."

"That's no small feat, Eth," Lyra said, glancing down at Lexaeus. "Oh, and you Larvitar evolved!"

"Xemnas evolved, too," Ethan said, smiling in amusement. "When we get to the Pokemon Center I'll show you."

"Speaking of showing," Lyra said, taking out the Silver Wing. "The Director gave me this as a reward."

"Wow!" Ethan exclaimed, admiring its silver color. "What do you think it does?"

"He mentioned going to the Whirl Islands with this and another item," she replied. Ethan stared at the object strangely.

As the two friends talked, Axel glanced at the silver feather in Lyra's hand. He had no idea how they could call it a wing; it could fit into Lyra's hand with no trouble at all.

Regardless, whatever it was in the Whirl Islands better look out if they ever get that second item.

* * *

Please leave a review.


	28. The Home of Dragons

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Kingdom Hearts. If I did, there would probably be chaos afoot.

**In response to XXX's review stating that the next Silver battle should be hard and stuff: **I plan on it. It was just that the last chapter was kinda rushed because I wanted to fit everything from that battle to beating Archer into that chapter. :/

And also (in case you haven't read _Regional League_), Hetalia is one of my new obsessions. I blame my roommate (for being in a retreat one weekend), Netflix, my own boredom, and the fact that every episode is like five minutes. I thought, "Oh, since each episode is so short (and I hear it's really awesome), I'll just watch one or two to keep me entertained..." ...And then it turned into a marathon.

So I wasn't able to get TWEWY. D: I looked at the GameStop at the mall and it didn't have that game...so instead I got _Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimiore of the Rift_ and started a Nuzlocke run of _Pokemon Black_. I'm chronicling the latter on this website (it's called Snake Eyes if anyone's interested), which you should check out. Just a thought. But I'm back home, and when I have the money I'll check my local GameStop.

And I sincerely apologize for the lack of a Clair battle - I promise that if I write a full battle, I'll load it onto _Alternate Rebirths_ somehow. But I added a little something that'll surely make up for it~!

On with the fic!

* * *

"So there's one more PokeMember to find..." Ethan mused as he and Lyra walked through Mahogany Town. Lyra had just told him about Silver having Vexen and how Lyra had to explain everything to him. "But do you think that Silver guy can keep a secret?"

"I'm not sure if he believes it, to be honest," Lyra replied. "He said so himself, but there's a lot of evidence for it. The numerals, Vexen saying all that stuff..."

"Wait, the Cloyster could talk?" Ethan asked. "I can understand a Lapras and a Murkrow talking, but a Cloyster?"

"I've heard of a Meowth that taught itself how to speak English," Lyra shot back, taking out the list. "Besides, it says here that Vexen was 'The Chilly Academic'. Maybe he was the smart one of the group?"

"I guess," Ethan replied, shrugging. "Now come on. Ice Cave is just ahead, and we gotta get through there to get to Blackthorn."

Lyra nodded, her gut clenching in anticipation. This last Gym battle was supposed to be fierce; a fierce Gym Leader that held command over powerful Dragon types.

What would come out of this?

* * *

"Oh, wow!" Lyra exclaimed as the two entered the icy cave. The place sparkled a light blue, and the icy cold already started to bite into any exposed skin. Lyra tightened her scarf a little bit.

"We should go-" Ethan said, stepping forward - and sliding smack into the wall.

"Ow..." he said, falling to the ground. Lexaeus shook his head at the black-haired boy.

Hoshi, however, loved the environment here. He chirped happily while slipping on the ice.

"At least one of us is enjoying it," Ethan grumbled while Hoshi landed on his head. Lyra laughed, sliding up to Ethan.

"I found a trick to it. C'mon, I'll show you," she offered, holding out her hand. Ethan stared at the outstretched hand for a minute, and then accepted it.

"Okay," he said softly. Lyra glanced at him for a minute.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You look a little cold."

"Really?" Ethan responded, his face reddening. "I feel fine."

* * *

"Look, we're almost near the end!" Lyra exclaimed, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Ethan grinned.

"Awesomesauce! Now we can...hmm?" he said, noticing something. Lyra followed his gaze and saw yet another Kimono Girl. She just stood still in the ice...was she stuck?

"Hey!" Lyra called. "Are you okay?"

The Kimono girl looked around.

"Is that you, Lyra?" she said. "Fancy meeting you here!"

"What are you doing here?" Lyra asked as she and Ethan slid closer to the young lady.

"Are you hurt?" Ethan added.

"Ah, no. My sandals are simply frozen on the ice, and I am stuck," the Kimono Girl responded, gesturing towards her feet. Sure enough, the sandals were encased in the ice.

"They are quick-frozen to the ground, you might say," she continued, giggling. "But this is no laughing matter. Can you help me out?"

"Sure," Lyra said, taking out Axel's PokeBall. She released the Typhlosion, saying, "Hey, do you think you can melt the ice on her feet without burning her?"

Axel looked at Lyra as if she had two heads, and shrugged. He produced a small flame, which he used to melt the ice. The Kimono Girl smiled gratefully at the girl and her Typhlosion.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. She slid towards the exit, saying, "You two truly are kind. Thank you both!"

And with that, she left into Blackthorn City. Ethan glanced at Lyra.

"How did she know you, Ly?" he asked.

"I've been bumping into these Kimono Girls all through my journey," she responded. "Ever since I got Hoshi's Egg, I've been seeing them."

Ethan glanced at the ground, huffing. Lyra glanced at him.

"Something wrong?" she asked. Ethan scratched the back of his head.

"Well..." he said sadly. "It's just...I probably should've been there from the beginning. Then I wouldn't be asking all these questions."

Lyra frowned at this. Had Ethan always felt this out of the loop of things? She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," she responded. "Cheer up, okay? I don't mind telling you all of this stuff, if that's what you're worried about."

Axel facepalmed at this. That wasn't what Ethan meant...and the only one who didn't know this was Lyra. Frankly, Axel was amazed that Ethan hadn't just snapped and told her everything at some point.

* * *

Lyra wiped the sweat off her brow. This was a really intense battle; Demyx versus Clair's last Pokemon, her Kingdra.

Ethan watched with rapt attention; sure, he had already beaten Clair an hour before, but this was intense. Clair had managed to knock out Axel, Larxene,_ and_ Hoshi! Roxas and Zexion were at critical health, so everything rode on Demyx.

"Demyx," Lyra said. "Use Ice Beam!"

"Dragon Pulse, Kingdra!"

Kingdra sent a pulse of blue energy towards Demyx, who countered with a beam of ice. The explosion that resulted sent shards of ice flying everywhere. Kingdra toppled a little, giving Lyra an idea.

_Please let this be enough, _Lyra thought. "Use Brine!"

That did it for Kingdra. As it fell to the floor with a loud BAM, Lyra started to cheer and jump. She did it! She beat Clair!

"Ethan, did you see that?" she exclaimed, rushing towards her best friend. Ethan hugged her tightly and started spinning her around.

"That's awesome, Ly!" he exclaimed. "Now you have a shot at the League!"

Clair stared at the scene in disbelief. She returned her Kingdra, feeling annoyance and rage bubble inside her. How could she have been beaten by a mere _child?_

"I won't concede," she said, catching both Lyra and Ethan's attentions. "You two may have beaten me, but I don't think you're ready for the Pokemon League.

Clair smirked, pointing at Ethan. "I'll give you the Badge…if you pass the Dragon User's test."

Ethan and Lyra sputtered at this. Did she just say that their getting the Badge depended on hem passing the Dragon User's test?

"That's ridiculous!" Ethan shouted. "You can't do that!"

"Do you want the Badge or not?" Clair asked. Lyra gritted her teeth. After coming so far...!

"Alright," she said. "What should we do?"

"Behind this Gym is the Dragon's Den. Go to the small shrine at the very heart of the place," Clair instructed. "If you can prove that you don't have any sort of lazy ideals, I guess I can part with these Badges."

Lyra and Ethan nodded and left the Gym, anxiety already chewing at their hearts.

* * *

Ethan stood outside the Dragon's Den Shrine. Lyra was already inside, going through the test. He would have gone in there with her, but the monks said, "One person at a time."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He really hoped that Lyra would pass, even if that meant he wouldn't. Lyra deserved it more than he did, anyways; Ethan was only collecting Badges for the fun of it. This was Lyra's dream.

His hand went unconsiously towards the belt of PokeBalls; there were only five on his belt, because Lexaeus took some pretty serious damage. He had to rest in the Pokemon Center longer than the others.

He heard the door opening. Lyra walked out, a big grin on her face.

"Did you pass?" Ethan asked. Lyra nodded, causing Ethan to smile.

"Good," he said. "I was hoping you would. So I guess it's my turn?"

Lyra nodded. "Don't worry! You'll pass. I know it."

Ethan and Lyra looped their pinky fingers. Ethan grinned as he walked inside.

_Okay, Ethan, _He thought as he entered. _Let's do this._

Inside the room, there were intricate dragon decorations and candles. The elderly monk in the middle of the room smiled at him.

"Ah, Ethan, was it not?" he asked. "It's good to see you here. Your friend Lyra told me everything."

Ethan nodded, still a little anxious as to what kind of test this was.

"No need to worry," the Elder reassured. "You only need to answer a few questions. First; What are Pokemon to you?"

"They're my allies and my friends," Ethan responded. "They help me and I can only try to help them in return. Through that process the bond forms between me and my Pokemon." The Elder nodded.

"What helps you win your battles?"

Ethan hummed in thought. This test was a little easier than he anticipated, but these questions were tough. "I guess I'd say my knowledge of my Pokemon's strengths and weaknesses - and the strategies I form around them that gets us through."

"I see...and the kind of Trainer you'd like to fight...?"

"Oh, anyone. I think that you can learn from fighting any kind of Trainer," Ethan responded. "Strong, weak, it doesn't matter."

"What is important for raising Pokemon?"

Ethan swallowed. "Love, definitely."

The Elder smiled. "This is the last question...Strong Pokemon or weak Pokemon...Which is more important?"

"Both," Ethan said, resolve seeping into his voice. "To be honest, I don't think a Pokemon can be truly strong or truly weak. They all have their own strengths and their own weaknesses."

"I see...Lin, bring Lyra here," the Elder commanded. One of the younger monks bowed and went out to get the girl. When she walked in, standing beside Ethan, the Elder continued, "Both of you have a strong love for Pokemon. That conviction is an integral trait in a Dragon User. Don't lose that belief; it will see you through in everything you do."

The children's eyes widened as the implications for this set in. That was when Clair walked into the room.

"So how was it?" she asked them. "I guess there's no point in asking?"

"Actually..." Lyra said. "We both passed."

Clair looked about ready to have a heart attack.

"What?" she exclaimed. "That can't be! You're lying! Even_ I_ haven't been approved!"

"Clair!" the elder barked. "These two are impeccable, in skill and in spirit! Admit defeat and give them their Badges! Or should I inform Lance of this...?"

Clair paled at the thought. "A-Alright. Here!" she said, taking out two Badges and placing them in the Trainer's hands.

"With the Rising Badge, all Pokemon will obey you without question," she said quickly. "It also allows you to climb up waterfalls."

The Elder's eyes softened as he watched the scene. "Clair...reflect upon what you lack that these children have in abundance."

Clair didn't answer; she simply rushed out. Lyra looked after her out of sympathy.

"By the way," the Elder said, snatching Lyra's attention. "Do you two know of the Pokemon Lugia?"

The two Trainers nodded.

"It's said that Lugia can be found in the Whirl Islands," he responded. "Between Olivine and Cianwood."

The Elder nodded, saying, "At the bottom of the Whirl Islands, there is a huge waterfall. It is said that Lugia rests in the deep end of this basin. I've heard that you need a Silver Wing to reach the basin."

Lyra's hand unconsciously went towards the Silver Wing, which she made a makeshift necklace out of; using a piece of string to tie around the end of the wing. She thought she felt the wing starting to get a little cooler by the second...

Ethan glanced at her doing this.

"I think we should get going," he said.

The Elder nodded. "Good luck in all that you do!"

* * *

When they stepped outside, Clair was waiting for them.

"I forgot these," she said, handing the two Trainers a TM each. "That TM contains Dragon Pulse. It, well...never mind what it...What I mean is that it shoots out huge energy of some kind. If you don't want it, you don't have to take it."

Lyra accepted the TM, gulping as she did so. For some reason, she felt a little feverish - was the battle draining her that much?

"What's the matter?" Clair asked, noticing Lyra's behavior. "If you're going to get to the Pokemon League, you need to go through New Bark Town and Surf along Route 27. But from what I can see...you have some unfinished business."

"I think so," Lyra said, sitting down on a nearby rock. Clair put her hands on her hips.

"Come on! Whatever it is you have to face, don't you dare give up!" she said. "Since you beat me, I better not hear about you giving up or anything like that - it'll make me feel worse! Got that? Give it your all out there!"

And with that, she walked off. Lyra released Demyx, getting on his back. Ethan was about to join her when...

"Oh, Ethan!" The Elder said, peering out the door. "Could you come back inside for a minute? We'd like to talk to you."

Ethan glanced at Lyra, who waved him off.

"I'll be fine. I just feel a bit faint, that's all," she said, giving a small smile. "I'll see you at the Pokemon Center!"

Demyx rode off at this. Ethan hesitated, and then followed the Elder into the shrine.

"We have something for you, Ethan," the Elder explained as the two entered. The Elder walked towards the back of the room and held out a PokeBall. "We'd like you to have this as proof of your worth."

Ethan accepted the PokeBall and released the Pokemon inside. When a Dratini was revealed, Ethan gaped.

"Wait, wha...?" he asked, stupefied. "Not that I'm ungrateful, but...why?"

"Dragon Pokemon are a symbol of our clan," the Elder explained. "You have proven that you can be trusted with a Dragon Pokemon of your own."

"What about Lyra?" he asked. "Didn't she pass the test too?"

"I'll tell you a secret, Ethan" the Elder said, wrapping an arm around Ethan's shoulders. "Clair always sends Trainers here when they beat her. Most of the time they pass the test, and some fail. But a very small number of Trainers that have taken the test have proven themselves worthy of the Dratini Gift. These are the Trainers that understand that Pokemon are not only our allies, but our friends as well."

Ethan glanced down at the Dratini, who looked back up at him curiously.

"Is that why Lyra doesn't get a Dratini?" Ethan asked curiously. "Didn't she pass?"

"Lyra did pass, that much is certain," the Elder said. "But she relies far too much on her luck and her Pokemon's power, even if she doesn't realize it. Ethan...I hope that you can teach her that Pokemon battles aren't just shows of luck and power. They are tests of reliance and faith."

Ethan swallowed at this. "Okay. You have my word," he said.

He scooped Dratini in his arms and made his way out of the Dragon's Den. He released Mizu, saying, "Boy, Dratini. I don't know what I'm gonna do about..."

That was when he saw something on the back of Dratini's head. Ethan squinted, thinking he had seen a trick of the eye.

_There's no way that can be right,_ he thought, squinting. He took out his copy of the list and scanned through it. He looked at the Dratini again, and then at the list.

"...What the hell?"

* * *

When Ethan burst through the door to the PokeCenter room, Lyra jumped out of her seat.

"Ethan, what are you...?" she started when Ethan dragged Lyra into the bathroom with a Dratini in hand. He released his other Pokemon, among them being a rather feminine-looking Xemnas.

As the other PokeMembers laughed at the Kirlia's form in the other room, Ethan practically shoved the Dratini in Lyra's face.

"Is that a Dratini?" she gasped. "It's so cute! Is that what the Elder wanted to talk to you about?"

Ethan nodded. "That isn't what I wanted to show you. Well, not really. Take a look a this," he said, pointing at the back of Dratini's forehead.

Lyra did so and observed the Dratini. Her eyes widened, and the two friends could only stare at the numeral on the Dratini.

The numeral _XIV_.

* * *

*builds a fort in record time and hides in it*

I AM PREPARED FOR THE FLOOD OF SURPRISE/FREAKOUT/SPAZ REVIEWS!

So you guys asked me a million times if Xion was going to be in this. Originally, she wasn't going to be in this, but I changed my mind~!

I think despite this I'm going to keep the title as _XIII Pokemon_. It looks better in printing and it always makes for the surprise here~!

*puts on a military cap and waits*


	29. Omake: Missing You

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Kingdom Hearts. If I did, there would probably be chaos afoot.

*pokes head out of rubble and debris left behind by surprise/freakout/spaz reviews* Wow, you guys got..._really_ excited about Xion being in this. In fact, last chapter was the most reviewed out of all of them...in such a short time! You guys are gonna _love_ this chapter! :D One thing, though; I haven't played _358/2 Days_ in a long time, so if there are any mistakes, please let me know, okay?

Also, thanks to the people who wished me luck on the Nuzlocke run. It's not easy, let me tell you. Although I question the logic of chronicling it while I play the game...when it's my second Nuzlocke. Maybe I should scrap it and return to the project another time (when I'm more experienced with Nuzlockes).

IT'S OMAKE TIME! AND IT'S XION'S!

* * *

When did she get here...in this place?

She knew this place was Sora's heart. The image of him with his friends practically gave that away. But why was she here? Just a minute ago, she was floating in this strange abyss...

That was when she saw an X-shaped creature. In the middle of the X appeared to be an eye. The creature stared at Xion for a minute, before chirping something that sounded like 'Unknown.'

It floated away from the pedestal, before looking back at Xion. She raised an eyebrow.

"Do...do you want me to go with you?"

The creature nodded, floating about five feet away from the pedestal of Sora's heart. Xion hesitated; what was this thing and what was it trying to do? It didn't look like anything she had ever seen...

**Do you truly wish to see them?**

She looked around wildly. "Who's there?" she demanded.

**Who I am is of no importance. Do you want to see them again? Your friends?**

Xion nodded. "I do. More than anything. It's my strongest wish. But I still have to be here...in Sora's heart. I was created from his memories..."

**His memories will stay in his heart, if you are worried about that.**

"Really?" Xion asked. How powerful _was_ this creature? "Wait, you haven't answered my question..."

**I suppose you can call me a god of some sort. This Unown recently found you in the heart of that boy...Sora, did you call him? Now I'm going to give you a choice...all of the members of your Organization have been reborn in my world. Including your friends, Axel and Roxas.**

Xion gasped. This voice knew where Roxas was? Roxas _had_ disappeared from Sora's heart a long time ago...Sora practically had a panic attack when he found out. Xion was worried as well.

And Axel was there, too?

**Should you like, you will be reborn as well. Simply follow this Unown and you shall be.**

"Unown?" Xion repeated, glancing at the X-shaped creature. The small creature nodded, chirping again. Xion stepped forward, until she was in front of the small creature.

**Take heed...you may remember them, but they will not remember you. Do you still wish to go on?**

Xion felt a little sad at this; they wouldn't remember her. There wouldn't be any tearful reunion, no reminiscing of memories eating ice cream in Twilight Town...

But she still wanted to eat ice cream with Roxas and Axel again, just like old times...

Xion nodded. "That's fine. I'll be able to make new memories with them, right? I'll be fine."

The bodiless voice chuckled.

**Good answer.**

At that moment, a blinding light appeared in front of the Unown. The creature flew into it, leaving Xion. She hesitated, and then walked into it.

* * *

It was warm in this place. Confining, but comfortable. Her view was sepia as she floated in this claustrophobic space.

There were shadows surrounding her. Heartless? No...They're not shaped like that. And these were people talking...Heartless can't talk.

Curious, she moved in her space, trying to free herself. Her head broke out of the thin barrier and she saw men in gray robes. When they saw her come out of her shell, they smiled, welcoming the birth of something called a 'Dra-tee-nee'. She managed to glance at herself in a reflective surface when the elder scooped her up to examine. Her eyes widened when she saw that she was a small serpent-like creature. Admittedly cute, but still!

Is that was that voice meant by being reborn? Into the bodies of different creatures?

She wondered what everyone else's forms were...

* * *

Eventually she was given to a black-haired boy named Ethan. Xion liked him instantly; she had ever since she watched the boy take that Dragon User's test. All the things he said about forming bonds with Pokemon...it almost reminded her of Roxas.

Of course, she wasn't expecting Ethan's reaction to seeing her numeral...which was apparently on the back of her head.

"I don't get it," he was saying as Mizu helped them through that cave. "Lyra said there were thirteen members...so why does she have XIV?"

Xion's eyes widened. He and his friend knew about the Organization? How?

Mizu huffed.

_"It's weird," _she said. _"Were you a forgotten member or something?"_

Xion glanced at the water in something akin to sadness. Mizu promptly shut up and the three went on their way.

* * *

The two children stared at the Dratini, stupified.

"Are you sure that's right?" the pigtailed girl asked, glancing at a list of some kind. "XIV, really?"

"Yeah, it makes no sense," Ethan agreed. "You said there were only thirteen members..."

"Maybe a visit to the Ruins of Alph will help?"

Xion looked around the room. So most or all of these Pokemon were members of the Organization...which ones were her friends?

That was when she spotted them. The giant creature with the flames on his back reminded her of Axel's spiky hair. And the one sitting next to him - the one that looked like a bipedal jackal - had to be Roxas.

She felt a whirlwind of emotions - happiness at seeing them again, sadness because she knew they wouldn't remember her...

Meanwhile, Roxas and Axel glanced at the new addition to the 'family' (if this ragtag group could even be called that). She stared back at the Lucario and Typhlosion, as if holding her breath. She looked really sad just sitting there...

The Lucario and Typhlosion walked up to the Dratini.

_"Um...I know this sounds weird, but who are you?"_ Roxas asked the Dratini.

_"Yeah,"_ Axel added._ "It's weird. I feel like I should remember you, but at the same time..."_

_"That's okay,"_ the Dratini said quietly. She glanced at Ethan and Lyra. _"Are they traveling together?"_

_"Yeah," _Roxas said, gesturing towards Xemnas, who was talking to Lexaeus and Xigbar. _"It's kind of a recent development. I'm **still** not used to seeing Xemnas everywhere I go."_

Xion burst into laughter upon seeing the former Superior's rather...feminine form. Never in a thousand years did she think something like that could happen!

_"He...He's...SO GIRLY!"_ she choked out. Axel and Roxas glanced at the hysterical Dratini, and then each other. Soon they also burst into hysterics, collapsing next to Xion. This was much to Xemnas' chagrin; he used Confusion to lift the three up and toss them to the wall.

Xion felt so unbelievably happy as she laughed (and was tossed towards the wall) with her two friends. Maybe she'd be the only one who remembers the memories from the past...but new memories like this one would be created every day.

She felt so grateful for the cause of her rebirth.

* * *

**EXTENDED ENDING:**

Arceus sighed out of agitation.

**"This is truly the final one of those members?" **it asked the X-shaped Unown.

_"I'm sure!"_ the Unown responded. _"There are thirteen members, plus the memory girl."_

**"And how exactly did you find the girl?"**

_"Well, funny thing about that..."_

* * *

Hey, I just noticed there's been a pattern in my chapters lately...Let's see if you guys can spot it too! :)

RANDOM NOT TO LEAVE YOU ALL WITH (because I saw a review about this): About Roxas' line as Xion fades (_"Who else will I have ice-cream with?"_): that is _easily_ one of the most heart-breaking lines in the entire game, if not the whole series! At least in my opinion. And here's why: Roxas spent less than a year in what could be called existence. He had no memories of his former life, unlike the other Nobodies, leaving him as impressionable as a baby. When Axel takes him in, friendship is basically explained to Roxas as 'eating ice cream together'. When he starts bringing Xion into the routine of eating ice cream, the friendship between the three starts to form. At the point that Roxas fights Xion, his friendship with Axel is very strained. SO ROXAS IS BASICALLY ASKING WHO WILL BE HIS FRIEND NOW THAT XION'S GONE.

When I figured this out, I had an emotional heart attack (meaning I came REALLY damn close to crying).

So. Yeah.

Please review!


	30. Musique pour la Tristesse de Xion

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Kingdom Hearts. If I did, there would probably be chaos afoot.

So the chapter pattern that popped up is this: since Demyx' omake chapter, I've had an omake every seven chapters. The first one who pointed this out was The Walls of Jericho! :D

WARNING: Lots of bold/italics in this chapter. If it bothers you, feel free to copy/paste into a Word Document and get rid of the italics. I just wanted to establish the difference between flashback/vision and Replica Room.

* * *

Silver liked the Ruins of Alph. It was nice and quiet, which was comforting. He found himself wandering through the empty corridors of the Ruins whenever he was confused or anxious.

Which is why he was in those ruins now, glancing at the letter-like objects on the walls. He kept thinking about Cloyster (Vexen?) and what happened in the Goldenrod Underground. Lyra telling him about that otherworldly cult things...Silver wanted to laugh at that. There was no way reincarnation could be real! But at the same time, there were the numerals on most of Lyra's Pokemon - and his Cloyster. And what did Cloyster mean when he said all that stuff about 'traitors' and comparing Lyra to some person named 'Sora'?

He was so lost in his musings that he jumped when he heard Lyra call his name. He twisted around to see her and Ethan going down the ladder to the ruins.

"Weird seeing you here," Ethan commented. "What's happening?"

"Nothing. Just thinking," Silver said, taking out a PokeBall. "The two of you might want to see this."

At this he released a Skarmory. Silver pointed at the Skarmory's beak, where there was the numeral _III._

"If this stupid cult thing is true, I might as well know the name for this one," Silver muttered. "I don't think Three would be a very appropriate nickname."

Lyra nodded in partial understanding as she handed Silver the list. He blinked.

"Xaldin," he deadpanned. He observed the list some more. "What's with this group and the letter X?"

Lyra shrugged. "I think it's because their names are basically an anagram of their Somebody's names with an X thrown in."

"What makes you think that?" Silver asked.

"Vexen mentioned something about a kid named Sora," Lyra responded. "Demyx told me that Roxas was Sora's Nobody. If you unscramble the letters in Roxas' name..."

"You get 'Sora' and an 'X'!" Ethan exclaimed. "That's actually really cool."

"But none of this is explaining why you two are here," Silver deadpanned. Ethan nodded before releasing his Dratini.

"Take a look," he said, pointing at the numeral. Silver blinked incredulously.

"XIV?" he asked, agitation seeping into his voice. He shot an accusing look at Lyra. "You said there were only thirteen members!"

"That's what I was told," Lyra defended. "We're just as shocked as you are."

It was obvious that Silver was doing everything he could to try not to snap. Ethan sighed at this.

"I wish we knew who she was," he said wistfully. "And what her connection was to the others."

Almost as if on cue, several Unown surrounded the three humans. This time, only Roxas and Axel were released from their PokeBalls. They glanced at each other, and then the Dratini.

_"What's going on?"_ Dratini asked nervously.

She didn't get her answer as the six were swallowed in a bright light.

* * *

_"Is it that I'm not supposed to exist...?"_

_"Well, what do you want to do?"_

_"I want...to be with you two."_

_"Then come back with us."_

_"I can't...not the way I am now. But...what would it take for me to be like you?"_

* * *

**The black haired girl stumbled and fell to her knees, exhausted. The blonde boy held a hand to his head, as if he just had a migraine.**

**"Who are you...again?" he asked, walking towards the girl. "It's weird; I feel like I'm forgetting something really important."**

**The black haired girl gave a small, sad smile.**

**"You'll be...better off now...Roxas," she said. She fell, only to be caught by Roxas. Small fragments of light rose from her body and faded away. Roxas watched this in slight confusion.**

**"Am I..." he questioned, "the one who did this to you?"**

**"No. It was my choice...to go away now."**

**Roxas looked confused; as if asking, Why would you do this to yourself?**

**So she elaborated: "Better that, than to do nothing...and let him have his way. I belong with Sora. And now I am going back...to be with him."**

**Sora. The boy that both she and Roxas are connected to. She held his memories, so that he wouldn't wake up...and now the memories that she held are going back to him.**

**"Roxas," she continued. "I need you to do me a favor..."**

**Her mouth moved, but there was no sound to be heard.**

**Roxas nodded in partial confusion. "...free them?"**

**Ice appeared at her ankles, and then gradually rose up her body.**

**"It's too late for me to undo my mistakes," she choked. "But you can't let him get what he wants. You can't."**

**The two stayed there in silence, each unsure of what to say. She smiled peacefully.**

**"Good-bye, Roxas," she said. "See you again...I'm glad I got to meet you."**

**She chuckled. "Oh...and Axel too. You are both my best friends."**

**Her eyelids started to slowly close. She lifted a hand to gently stroke Roxas' cheek. She could feel the warmth through her gloves.**

**"Never forget," she whispered. "That's the truth."**

**Her eyes finally closed, and her hand started to fall. Roxas' brow furrowed, when suddenly his eyes widened and he grabbed the girl's hand.**

_**"No! Xion! Who else will I have ice cream with?"**_

**Finally the girl faded out of existence, fragments of light floating up into the sky. All that was left was a single shell. Roxas gently picked it up and a single tear trailed down his face. **

* * *

_When they opened their eyes, the humans found themselves in the Replica Room. Two of the chairs were occupied by Roxas and Axel, who were silently sitting, observing the others. The girl in front of them had the same cloak, and had short raven black hair framing blue eyes. _

_"You're Dratini?" Ethan asked. The girl nodded._

_"Xion," she introduced. "I'm a puppet that absorbed Sora's memories. At least...I was. I had to fade to give those memories back. And now I'm with you guys."_

_"Like you wanted," Lyra mused. "I mean, all those things we just heard and saw...and that last part was your..." _

_She couldn't find the words. Silver rolled his eyes._

_"We saw your death," he deadpanned. Lyra whacked him in the arm and continued, "But one thing confuses me; nobody mentioned you. Not Roxas or Axel or anybody."_

_"We forgot about her when she faded," Roxas responded quietly. "The memories that we had of her...they just faded away."_

_"Which sucks," Axel muttered, crossing his arms. His voice rose as he continued, "You know, since I promised I would be there to bring you back and all. How am I supposed to do that if I didn't remember you?"_

_She looked up at Axel and Roxas. "We were always told that Nobodies never should have existed. I had even less of a right to exist, because I was originally a puppet. You knew that, Axel."_

_Axel growled. "But still..." he trailed off. _

_Xion noticed Ethan glancing down at the ground glumly. She smiled at him, walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her in a mixture of sadness and confusion. _

_"Don't be sad, Ethan," Xion told him. "I might not be showing it, but I'm really happy right now. I'm in this world with my friends, after thinking I'll never see them again."  
_

_"Yeah, I know. I'm happy for you, I really am. But thinking about it now, I can't_ help_ being sad. I mean," he responded, hands clenching into fists as he glanced away. He chocked on a sob. "The others didn't have hearts. They did everything they could to get them back, and then you just changed everything for Axel and Roxas. You were a friend and an ally to them. Forming a bond with someone, and then dying like that...knowing the people you cared for most wouldn't remember you..."_

_He couldn't say anymore after that. Lyra rubbed circles on his back as silent tears fell down his face. Lyra felt an immense pang of sympathy at this; this new development changed the way she looked at this whole thing again. Even Silver felt moderately uncomfortable with this revelation. _

_Nobody said anything as the room dissolved. Nobody needed to._

* * *

After they found themselves in the Ruins of Alph again, Silver hurriedly excused himself. Probably needed to think on his own for a while. Lyra figured a really good way to cheer Ethan up (since he became really quiet after that incident) was to take him to that ice cream place in Olivine.

And so there they were, munching on sea-salt ice cream while watching the boats sail by. The beams of light coming from the lighthouse made a slow cycle. Lyra blinked, turning towards Ethan, who munched on his ice cream dejectedly.

"Hey, um...look at that ship over there," she pointed out, desperate for a break in silence. "There's a Shiny Mareep on the sail. A-and that one has a Snivy on the stern."

She grew more and more anxious as she talked. Ethan just stayed quiet through all this, and now he was just staring up at her with this unreadable look on his face and he _knew _that she never liked the quiet because that meant lack of activity...!

"Dammit, Ethan!" she finally exclaimed. "You've been quiet since the Ruins of Alph! I've known you for practically my entire life, and you've never been_ this_ quiet! Just...please say something! I don't care if it's about the Shiny Mareep or, or Mizu or what Professor Elm discovered last week or the time that Mizu jumped into your bathtub! Just...I need you to talk. Please?"

Things stayed silent between them, which made anxiety chew at Lyra's heart even more. What if he was so traumatized that he decided to never talk again? Then who would snicker over the weirdest things with her, freak out over certain TV shows and just chat with her about how their Pokemon are doing? She couldn't stand the thought her friends not communicating with her in some way.

"You know," Ethan finally said. "Last time we ate ice cream like this, I ran off all of a sudden. Remember?"

Lyra nodded at this, unsure of where he was going with this.

"I was thinking," he continued. "Since meeting Xion, I mean. I was thinking about how she knew she was going to die, forgotten by the people she loved...and how she told Roxas how she cared for him. And I guess..."

He held a hand to his head. "Gah, this is so hard to say...I guess it's inspired me to tell you that..."

Ethan groaned. This was getting him nowhere! He sighed, glancing at Lyra.

"Lyra...I really like you," he finally said. "As more than a friend."

Ethan swallowed and glanced at his feet. That stare Lyra was giving him - that wide-eyed, shell shocked stare - was almost too much. "I think it started the last time we had ice cream, and then...I guess the feeling just grew."

Lyra couldn't find the words to say to that. How could she? Her best friend just told her that he...! She had no idea what her emotions were doing at this point; they seemed to mix together to make a maelstrom of feelings.

Ethan pushed himself off the fence and said, "I get it; you're shocked. I'm actually really shocked I just told you that, because when I figured it out, I promised myself I wouldn't...because I didn't want to risk ruining our friendship and making this journey awkward for you."

Biting his lip, he stepped away. "I think I should give you some space for now. I'll be at the Pokemon Center."

He walked of, leaving a surprised Lyra. She gaped at the spot where Ethan was just now and just wanted to break down. She didn't know if she liked him like that, and with everything going on...!

"Dammit," she said, cradling her head in her hands.

_What should I do?_

* * *

See the above chapter, kids? This is what happens when PK stays up until two in the morning to create a chapter for her dear readers. Because PK loves you all. *heart*

Please review!


	31. An Intense Situation

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Kingdom Hearts. If I did, there would probably be chaos afoot...

GUYS GUYS GUYS.

SOMEONE MADE FANART OF THE POKEMEMBERS! HERE'S THE LINK! (www. amongst-the-mad . deviantart / # / d53dcrb)

And I have another new obsession: Homestuck. Especially that song 'Savior of the Waking World.'

That is all.

* * *

That morning, in the Pokemon Center, Ethan was wondering why the hell he decided to tell Lyra that.

Was it because of Xion? Meeting the Dratini _had_ given him an extra push...but really, lately he was thinking about the fact that the Nobodies didn't have emotional hearts. They couldn't feel anything in that time; happiness, sadness, anger, or love...From the beginning, Ethan felt a little bit of sympathy for them. He couldn't imagine what it was like, just existing like that. He figured it had to be a little boring...and lonely.

He glanced at the Dratini, who was chatting nervously with Xemnas. Did Xemnas remember Xion now, too? Probably...he had a little habit of poking around Ethan's mind (seeing as he_was_ a Psychic-type). Maybe he was talking to Xion about what happened?

Ethan sighed, cradling his head in his hands.

_What happens now?_

That was when his PokeGear started ringing. He grabbed the device and answered it. It was Professor Elm.

**"Hello, Ethan!"** he said. **"Is Lyra with you?"**

Ethan shook his head. "She's outside. She probably needs some fresh air. We've had a pretty long day yesterday."

Then he proceeded to tell Professor Elm everything that happened surrounding Xion.

**"Very strange..." **Professor Elm said. **"And you said this happened at the Ruins of Alph?"**

Ethan nodded, humming in thought. Everything seemed to spiral around that place. First Lyra's first visit to the Replica Room, and then his, and then what happened with Silver and Xion...

Did the Unown have something to do with their rebirth in this world?

Professor Elm said something about how they got the Badges and how they should come to New Bark before hanging up. Ethan's head was still swimming at this theory. The Unown can grant any wish, he knew that...

But who wished for the Nobodies to get another life?

He grabbed his backpack, returned his Pokemon and practically bolted out the door.

* * *

**"Lyra, I heard you and Ethan got all the Badges! Plus, you two are really helping my research! That's phenomenal! I'd like you and Ethan to come to New Bark Town as soon as you can, okay?"**

"Okay, Professor. Bye," Lyra said, hanging up the phone. She sighed, glancing out at the horizon again. She was still reeling from the events of yesterday; Xion, and then Ethan...

She cursed as she felt her cheeks heat up. _Why_ did Ethan have to be so sincere about it?!

Roxas (who was out at this time) glanced at Lyra with something akin to concern. He knew exactly what was bugging her (his species wasn't called the Aura Pokemon for nothing), and he was concerned for both her and Ethan. There are three ways something like this could go; their friendship could dissolve into an awkward acquaintanceship, Lyra could develop romantic interest in Ethan, or (and Roxas knew the odds of this last one were _really_ slim), Ethan's crush on her could dissolve and they could be just friends again.

"Lyra!"

She jumped to see Ethan running towards her.

"Didja get Professor Elm's call?" he asked. Lyra nodded.

"Yeah, he seemed pretty excited," she said as they started walking towards Route 39. "I wonder what's up?"

"I don't know," he said. "He said something about us getting the Badges. He was probably going to congratulate us on that."

An awkward silence hung heavily between the two friends for the rest of the trip to New Bark. Neither of them knew what to say to each other.

* * *

Professor Elm blinked as Ethan and Lyra walked into the lab.

"Hello!" he said. "You two came here faster than I expected! Anyway, I just wanted give you these in celebration of your eight Badges!"

He then pulled two purple PokeBalls out of his pocket and handed one each to the two Trainers.

"These are Master Balls," Professor Elm exclaimed. "It's the most powerful kind of PokeBall yet. It catches a Pokemon with no chances of failing! They're usually given to notable researchers every year, but I think you'll be able to put better use to them than I could."

The Trainer's eyes widened. Capturing a Pokemon without any chance of failing! This was a huge deal.

"Oh, and Lyra," Professor Elm said, grabbing their attention again. "One of the Kimono Girls came by asking about you! She said that you should go to the Dance Theatre in Ecruteak as soon as you can, and that you should bring Hoshi with you."

Lyra was bowled over at this. The Kimono Girls? What did they have to say now? Did it have anything to do with what one of them said in Goldenrod?

Anything to do with the Silver Wing...?

Ethan watched silently as Lyra's hand went towards the Silver Wing, clutching it like it was a lifeline.

"And Ethan? While Lyra does that, could you stay here a while longer?" Elm asked. "There's something I want to ask you about what you told me earlier."

Ethan deflated. He must have had questions about Xion and the Replica Room...

Lyra glanced at her friend. He grinned half-heartedly.

"Don't worry about me, Lyra," he said. "You go ahead. Oh, and here."

At this he handed Lyra a greenish-yellow stone.

"That's a Shiny Stone," he explained. "You can use that on Hoshi to get him to evolve into a Togekiss. I meant to give that to you after the Dragon User's test, but then all that happened..."

He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Anyway, go ahead. Let me know what happened, okay? I want every detail!"

Lyra nodded and stumbled out of the lab. She sighed when she got out of the building, putting a hand to her forehead.

_What's wrong with me today...?_

* * *

When they arrived at Ecruteak City, the newly evolved Hoshi floated toward Lyra, concerned.

Lyra blinked. "Hoshi, is it that obvious that I'm out of it?"

Hoshi nodded, cooing while nuzzling his Trainer. Lyra hugged back.

"Thanks, Hosh," she said softly. "I wonder what the Kimono Girls had to say, though..."

When she walked towards the door to the Dance Theatre, she immediately saw Silver getting pushed out of the building.

"What the hell was that?!" he exclaimed, getting up. "Who'd have thought that five dancers would be so hard to defeat?!"

That was when he noticed Lyra and her Togekiss. Silver sighed at this.

"You saw all that, Lyra?" he asked.

"Just you getting pushed out," she responded. "You tried fighting the Kimono Girls?"

Silver nodded, saying, "Yeah. I never thought they'd be good at battling. I got beaten to a pulp faster than you can say 'Return'."

Lyra gulped. Sure, Silver was a bit...predictable with his battling, but she could never beat him effortlessly like the Kimono Girls apparently had.

"You came here to do the same thing, didn't you?" Silver asked. "Don't get cocky just because you beat Team Rocket!"

With that he walked off.

* * *

"Welcome, Lyra," the center girl said. "We have been expecting you. My name is Zuki. We met near Union Cave. Do you remember?"

Lyra nodded. How could she not? The Kimono Girl seemingly appearing out of nowhere and telling her to take care of the Pokemon that hatched out of the Egg.

"My name is Naoko," the second girl said. "We met in Ilex Forest."

"You're the one who got lost," Lyra said, blinking.

"Yes. I am the one who is not good at directions. I witnessed you defeating Team Rocket when Kurt was in trouble at the Slowpoke Well."

Lyra nodded slowly, remembering that instant. That was when she first fought Team Rocket, and shortly after that, Larxene was added to the party.

"She who knows the most speaks the least. I am Miki," The third girl said. "It was right here that I met you. You chased off that Team Rocket Grunt when he was harassing me."

That was the first time Hoshi really fought in a Trainer battle...

"I am Sayo," The fourth said. "You and your friend helped me out of the ice by melting it and giving me a push. I am the one who skates in sandals. I also happened to be listening in when you two passed the Dragon User's test."

The Dragon User's test...that was how she and Ethan met Xion.

"You were so dependable when Team Rocket took over Goldenrod. I was in awe," the final one praised. "I am the one you bumped into at the Goldenrod Tunnel. She who twirls even underground. My name is Kuni."

The Radio Tower fisaco. That when when they fought Team Rocket for the last time.

"Lyra, do you know why you're here?" Zuki asked. Lyra shook her head nervously.

"Beneath the Whirl Islands, the legendary Pokemon Lugia sleeps," Zuki said. "In order to bring Lugia back, we needed someone with an exceptional bond with their Pokemon. We asked Mr. Pokemon to give the Egg holding your Togepi to whoever showed the right potential."

"Mr. Pokemon gave it to Professor Elm, and then it was handed to me," Lyra said. Then it hit her. "Does that mean that...I...?"

"Yes," Zuki said. "However, just being pure won't be enough to revive Lugia. We must test you."

At this, all the Kimono Girls released a different Eeveelution - Flareon, Vaporeon, Espeon, Umbreon, and Jolteon.

Hoshi fluttered in front of Lyra, ready to fight. For good measure, Lyra also released Axel, Larxene, Marluxia, and Demyx.

"Guys, go for it!"

* * *

When the last Eeveelution fainted, the Kimono Girls returned their Pokemon. Zuki smiled at this.

"We were not wrong about you," she praised. Then she went to the back of the stage and took out a dark blue box. She handed it to Lyra. "You've proven yourself worthy of this...please take it."

Lyra accepted the box and opened it. It was a silver bell with blue wave designs on it. It seemed to glow on its own.

"This is the Tidal Bell," Zuki explained. "With that and the Silver Wing-"

Zuki was uninterrupted by the ground beginning to shake. Lyra nearly fell to the ground, only to be held up by Hoshi.

When the shaking stopped, a little girl burst into the Dance Theatre.

"Big sisters, big sisters!" she exclaimed, running towards the stage. "My daddy just told me that he just saw a big shadow at the Whirl Island's waters! He thinks it's a Pokemon!"

The Kimono Girls turned towards each other, concerned.

"Lyra!" Zuki barked. "We will be at the Whirl Islands. You come too!"

With that the Kimono Girls left, followed by the little girl. Only Lyra and her Pokemon were left.

"Well guys...Looks like this is going to be..."

_"Oh, for the love of Kingdom Hearts, please don't say it," _Marluxia muttered. Axel blinked.

_"Legendary?"_

_"Don't make me use Poison Jab, Axel."_

But Lyra couldn't say anything to finish that sentence. She was too nervous because she didn't know what would happen next. So all this time, the Kimono Girls had suspected that she'd be connected with Lugia? And apparently they were right?

Gulping, Lyra walked towards Olivine. It looked like she was about to see something life-changing.

* * *

Please review!


	32. Deep Anxiety

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Kingdom Hearts.

I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG TO UPDATE! The Lugia fight hated me, so as a compromise, I've decided to cut it a bit. So this chapter is a little shorter than I intended. :(

But there's a little surprise at the end. I cannot guarantee this is a good or a bad surprise.

All I'm certain of is, you're going to_ hate_ me at the end of this chapter.

That is all.

* * *

"ARGH!"

The frustrated shout echoed through the Whirl Islands as a young Trainer sat on a rock. She huffed again, glancing at her Umbreon, who sat beside her. The Dark-type seemed equally frustrated with the lack of progress they had made in finding the Kimono Girls. It seemed like all they managed to do was get themselves even _more_ lost.

"I don't get it, Saix," she said, absentmindedly petting her Umbreon. "We're just getting more lost. How are we going to be able to find them?"

Saix blinked. He started walking towards a soft blue light that he noticed. Lyra blinked. That light wasn't there before...

Was it?

Shrugging, Lyra stood up. "C'mon, Saix. The Kimono Girls are probably there."

And so the two entered, not expecting to find what they did.

The chamber the two found themselves in was nothing short of amazing. It was like stepping into a portal of some kind.

A lake, deep in the depths of the Whirl Islands. It was almost like Union Cave's underground lake, but at the same time the two lakes couldn't be more different. There seemed to be crystal-clear water in this lake - not a Magikarp or Seel in sight. The only disturbance in the water was courtesy of the waterfall that fell behind the Kimono Girl's position. Lyra noticed that

Zuki smiled as Lyra entered the chamber.

"This is where we welcome Lugia," she said. "We have practiced a dance for many years. When that dance becomes one with the sound of the Tidal Bell we trusted you with, then Lugia shall awaken and come out from the deep waterfall basin!"

Almost as if on cue, Lyra's bag started to glow a soft silvery blue. She opened the bag and the Tidal Bell floated out. The Kimono Girls separated, going into separate corners of the spit of land they were on.

"It is time," Zuki said, as the girls each closed their eyes and held out their fans. Naoko started playing a melody on the stringed instrument she held. As the Kimono Girls danced gracefully, the Tidal Bell's light started to pulse slowly. This seemed to cause the other bells (hung around huge boulders that were on both sides of the waterfall), to light up and ring, in sync with the Tidal Bell.

Lyra and Saix then noticed the water around them starting to stir. Particles of light started to rise around them, making the entire chamber look like a starry sky. Lyra stood there, entranced at the things going on. Saix wasn't as entranced, but he was impressed.

They could barely see a shadow behind the waterfall when the ground started to shake. A moment of silence reigned after that. The Tidal Bell stopped glowing and slowly started to fall to the ground. Lyra caught it, gulping - all this anticipation! If this turned out to be some sort of elaborate hoax...

Then a large bird-like Pokemon burst out of the waterfall! There's no use describing such a Pokemon, because this was a Pokemon that everyone is familiar with - the legendary Pokemon, Lugia!

The creature let out a mighty roar as it descended, floating above the water in front of the six humans.

"No way...that can't..." Lyra stuttered.

"It is," Zuki said, nodding at Lyra. "That is indeed Lugia...the guardian of these islands from legend. So many have tried to awaken Lugia, but all attempts have failed. It was your soul, in conjunction with the Tidal Bell, that allowed Lugia to awaken at last."

"I..I'm not sure what you mean," Lyra finally said.

"Don't you see? I believe that Lugia has been waiting for someone like you all this time."

"M-Me?" Lyra exclaimed, pointing at herself. Her mind decided to short-circuit at this time. "What's so special about _me?_ I'm just a Trainer!"

"You are a Trainer with a silver soul," Zuki said, "and that makes all the difference."

"A silver soul?" Lyra asked. "What does that even mean?"

Lugia emitted a grumbling shout at this, causing Lyra to jump.

"Now is not the time for explanations," the Kimono Girl responded. "Now go. Face Lugia."

"Wait, what? Face Lugia? You mean, as in battle?!"

Zuki nodded, causing Lyra to gulp. The finality of Zuki's action seemed to leave no room for argument.

"O...okay, then," Lyra said, releasing Demyx.

"Demyx, use Ice Beam!"

* * *

She gulped as she watched Roxas jump from boulder to boulder, dodging Lugia's attacks. Her Pokemon seemed okay so far...Demyx and Saix managed to get a good chunk of Lugia's energy down, and the Lucario seemed itching for a fight. Bringing Axel and Marluxia into the fight was out of the question, because of the water (for Axel) and the fact that Lugia's a Flying type (for Marluxia).

"Roxas, use Force Palm!"

Roxas jumped up and smacked Lugia's face. The legendary responded with a strong blast of wind (an Aeroblast), aimed directly at Roxas. It was a direct hit, causing the Fighting/Steel type to yelp in pain.

Lyra's heart seemed to skyfall into her stomach as she watched Roxas plummet into the water. That _was_ a pretty strong attack...

Lyra's fears only grew when two minutes - in which Lyra called out Larxene to deal with Lugia - and Roxas didn't come up for about two minutes. Lyra tried returning the Lucario, but to no avail.

**_"ROXAS!"_**

Without thinking, she yanked off her jacket and dove into the water.

* * *

*prepares an absolutely impenetrable fort (so much so that mere words can't tear it up like last time) and dives into it*

I'm ready for you guys this time!

Please review!


	33. Fragments of Sorrow

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or Kingdom Hearts.

TWEWY Progress: I finally got the game. That, college life and my new obsession with Dangan Ronpa is a large part of the reason why I haven't updated.

That is all.

* * *

The Kimono Girls shouted in shock. What just happened? One moment they were fighting, and the next Lyra jumped in...to save her apparently drowning Pokemon!

One of Lyra's PokeBalls (which was inside her jacket) opened, releasing her Typhlosion. He looked around, in semi-confusion.

_"Uh, what's going on?" _

_"Roxas fell into the water and never resurfaced!" _Larxene responded. _"Lyra jumped in after him!"_

Axel visibly paled at this. No...not Roxas!

He glanced at the other PokeBalls that were scattered on the ground. He didn't know which Ultra Ball was Demyx's PokeBall (it was either him, Marluxia or Saix that was in those Ultra Balls), and while Axel _was_ pretty good with games of chance, he was _not_ about to let his best friend drown in some Kingdom Hearts-forsaken cave.

He growled. It looks like there was only one thing he could do at this point. He hoped it didn't hurt as much as he figured it would...

* * *

Lugia watched with interest as Lyra's Typhlosion aimed a Flamethrower at the water. It seemed obvious what he was about to do - the legendary could see the determined intent on the Fire-type's face. It appeared that the Trainer's Lucario and he were pretty close friends, if he was willing to risk his life like that. Sure, the fact that he was warming up the water was smart - it increased his chances of survival considerably - but still.

**You know, **he told the Typhlosion. **You don't have to do this for your friend. Odds are good that you'll die - don't you care about that? Aren't you afraid?**

_Shut up_,the Typhlosion thought irritably. _You're the one who hurt Roxas in the first place, and I don't see you trying to help! And besides...I can't really be afraid of what I've already been through, you know._

Lugia didn't respond as the Fire-type finished warming up the water and dove in.

* * *

The water wasn't as cold as Lyra thought it was going to be. She was given the impression that it was freezing-cold water, when it actually was pretty lukewarm. She thought she could hear shouting from above the water, but that didn't really matter. All that mattered was making sure Roxas was okay.

There he was! His eyes were closed, and he was still. Lyra started to swim over to him when she noticed something.

_Weird, _Lyra thought. _I think the water's getting warmer. _

A medium-sized blur seemed to zoom past her. It grabbed Roxas and pushed him towards Lyra. She nodded in thanks (was that Demyx? It couldn't be, the blue was too small.) and pushed the Lucario up towards the surface. She returned the Lucario and took a few deep breaths.

"Uh...Where'd Lugia go?"

At that moment, the legendary rose out of the water, with an unconscious Axel on its back. Lyra paled even more at this. That blur was Axel! Lyra knew they were best friends, but for Axel to do that...! Lyra immediately returned the Typhlosion and faced the Kimono Girls.

"Sorry, I gotta run," she said hurriedly. "If I don't go now, then Roxas and Axel might..."

"We understand," Zuki responded. " And I believe Lugia does too. Hurry, now."

As Lyra dashed out of the room (calling "Sorry!" as she did so), Zuki and Lugia gave a small smile.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ethan was in his bedroom, blanket wrapped around him. He was playing with his PSP, the game being some mystery game that his pen-pal from Sinnoh gave to him. He was completely entranced by the game, if not a little frightened. Some of the deaths in that game _were_ pretty gory...how could Lucas stand this kind of thing?

Well, at least he knew that sending Lucas _The World Ends with You _was the right choice.

He jumped when his PokeGear started ringing. The caller ID indicated that it was Lyra. He pressed the button and answered, "Hi, Lyra."

**"Hi Eth..." **

That was when Ethan noticed that Lyra looked distressed. "Ly, what's wrong?" he asked, setting his PSP aside.

**"Well..." **

As Lyra explained everything to him about the Whirl Islands, Ethan mentally kicked himself a few times. Why didn't he go to Ecruteak after that thing with Professor Elm? After that he had checked the mail to see the game from Lucas had finally arrived and he was busy playing that.

That was when he caught the last part of the story.

"Axel dived in?!" he exclaimed.

**"To save Roxas,"** Lyra responded. **"I should have seen that coming, since they were best friends..."**

Ethan bit his lip, feeling guilt grow some more.

"Hang on, I'm coming over," he said.

* * *

Lyra smiled, giving her thanks before they hung up. Right then, the Nurse walked into the waiting room.

"Lyra?" she asked. The pigtailed Trainer nodded and stood.

"Your Lucario is going to be okay," the Nurse said, handing Roxas' PokeBall to the pigtailed Trainer. "He swallowed a lot of water, but he should be fine within a few days. Olivine is close to the ocean, so you can imagine all the incidents that we get similar to this one."

Lyra sighed in relief. "And...and Axel?"

"Axel's still in critical condition," the nurse said. "A few of the nurses are still working on him."

"Oh..." Lyra said sadly.

Nurse Joy glanced at her sympathetically. Silence reigned until...

"Tell me something," Joy said. "You said he warmed the water up before he dove in?"

Lyra nodded, to which Nurse Joy said, "That was a smart move on his part. This is a little-known fact, but Fire Pokemon _can_ tolerate water, but it has to be as minimal contact as possible, and has to be warm or boiling hot water. In your case, Axel jumped into the water, so it's unclear if he's going to be really fine, or if he'll be changed from the experience. This may - only may, mind you - result in some brain damage. "

Lyra nodded, just about ready to cry. Her starter...brain damage?

* * *

An hour later, Lyra's nerves hadn't settled. The Pokemon she had out were a little worried, too. Even Larxene and Saix were concerned.

_"I still can't believe that idiot jumped in,"_ the Pikachu said as Hoshi snuggled closer to her._ "He could have just as easily gotten Demyx to do it. I mean, those PokeBalls were right there!"_

Saix shook his head, saying,_ "Lyra had two Ultra Balls on her at that time - Marluxia and Demyx. If Axel had picked the wrong one, it would have wasted precious time. Surely you realize that."_

Hoshi blinked. _"I don't think you should worry," _he said. _"I think Axel's going to be okay."_

The two other Pokemon blinked at him.

_"What makes you so sure?"_ Saix asked.

_"Yeah, Hosh,"_ Larxene added. _"What gives?"_

Hoshi gave a small smile._ "Call it a hunch. It's like how I know that Lyra has a silver soul."_

_"What did that mean, anyway?" _Saix questioned._ "That girl who summoned that Pokemon...she said Lyra has a silver soul, too."_

_"It means a lot of things,"_ Hoshi responded._ "When I was a Togepi, I thought that just meant she was one of very few people whose souls were between black and white - its own special shade of gray. But as I got older I realized it showed Lyra's connection with Lugia - she's the one chosen to awaken it, after all. Plus, ask any expert on color - like Demy or even Zexy - and they'll go off on a tangent about how the color fits Lyra perfectly. I don't have all the answers, though...I'm still pretty young."_

A moment of silence passed as Saix and Larxene absorbed what the Togekiss said.

_"Wow,"_ Larxene finally said._ "I'm impressed. How'd you get so smart?"_

_"Simple!" _Hoshi chirped._ "I have the best family!"_

Lyra watched her Pokemon converse and smiled (albiet confusedly. Hoshi knew exactly what was going on, so why was he so cheerful? She sometimes wished he could talk like Demyx or Luxord could just so she could know what was going on in that Togekiss' head).

That was when Ethan came into the Center. He rushed towards his friend and gave her the tightest hug.

"How's Axel doing?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Lyra responded. "The last time I talked to the nurse, she said there only may be brain damage, since he warmed up the water before diving in."

"Well..." Ethan said carefully. "That's relatively good news, right? I mean...it could be worse, right?"

Lyra nodded, cradling her head in her hands. "You're right, but I can't help being worried," she responded.

Ethan hugged her again, sighing.

"Hey," he said softly. "I brought my PSP, my 3DS and a few games. I mean, if it'll cheer you up, we can play a few games. A-a-and the game my pen pal from Sinnoh sent finally arrived and you told me how you wanted to check it out and-"

"Thanks, Eth," Lyra interjected, smiling. "You always know how to cheer me up. Can we check out that game?"

Ethan smiled, glad he was able to help. "Sure thing, Ly. I gotta warn you, though; it does have a lot of blood, but it's pink for whatever reason, but it isn't even scary so much as shocking. With that said..."

He put the game disc into the PSP and they started to play.

It looked like all they had to do now was play the waiting game.

* * *

THAT'S RIGHT, ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! HAHAHAHAHAAAA!

*grabs several bags of marshmallows and dives back into the fort*

So that's a headcanon I have about Fire-types. :P

Bring it on!


End file.
